What is myelomalacia

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Any patient testimonials found on our website or other web properties should not be interpreted as a statement on the effectiveness of any of our medical treatments. What is Myelomalacia? Here are some of the signs and symptoms that may indicate a diagnosis of myelomalacia: Pain along the spine Paralysis or any loss of feeling in the legs or arms Functional loss in any body part Myelomalacia is a very serious condition that needs to be treated as soon as possible to avoid permanent nerve-related damage.

Treatment Options for Myelomalacia An MRI scan will likely be necessary to fully and accurately diagnose the condition. The intravertebral discs in the spine are important for stabilizing and protecting the spine. These discs are cushions that provide shock absorption for the spi Read More. Myelomalacia occurs when hemorrhaging or blood loss occurs in the spinal cord, resulting in the softening of the spinal cord and spine.

The most common factor related to myelomalacia is osteoporosis — when the bones in the spine are weak, they are more likely to be injured and cause a hemorrhage. Older people with weakened bones are more susceptible to myelomalacia, but this condition can occur in anyone. Some of the possible causes include:. Myelomalacia occurs when there is either not enough blood supply to the spine due to a blockage from spine damage, or when there is excessive bleeding.

Myelomalacia symptoms can occur suddenly after a spine injury, or the symptoms may slowly begin as degenerative spine damage becomes worse. If allowed to progress, myelomalacia can severely impact breathing and can be fatal. If you have signs or symptoms of myelomalacia after a spine injury or in combination with osteoporosis or other spine conditions, you should seek medical attention.

If myelomalacia is diagnosed or suspected by your doctor, you will be referred to a spine specialist for treatment. Since this condition is rare and involves the delicate spinal cord and nervous system, you will want a specialist involved in treatment of your case. Treatment for myelomalacia usually involves surgery. While it is possible that mild conditions could be treated with steroid injections to relieve inflammation causing the volume loss in the spine, most cases require a permanent alteration.

Removing an affected spinal disc or vertebrae that is causing the blood loss or hemorrhage are common treatments. Before spinal cord volume loss can be seen, often oedema can be detected by the MRI. Therefore, the presence of oedema in CSM is often considered a critical finding.

Findings from an extensive review of the literature in [1] suggested that the presence of myelomalacia and its extent may be associated with a poorer outcome after surgery. However these researchers considered this specifically in a subsequent study [2] and found that this was not the case.

However it should not be used to define the timing of surgery. It is unclear whether or not it predicts outcome, but the recent findings would suggest this is not the case. Tetreault et al. Spine A systematic review of MRI Characteristics that affect treatment decision making and predict clinical outcomes in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy Aug 2. Fehlings et al.

Global Spine Journal A clinical prediction rule for clinical outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for degenerative cervical myelopathy: analysis of an international AOSpine prospective multicenter data set of subjects. May