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What Does Severe Left Foraminal Stenosis With Compression Of The Exiting Left C7 Nerve Mean?
Question: What does "C7-T1: Annular disc bulge osteophyte complex with broad-based left paracentral to lateral foraminal disc protrusion results in severe left foraminal stenosis with compression of the exiting left C7 nerve." mean? Thanks.
Brief Answer:
Disc displacement and bony spurs causing nerve compression
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
It describes the C7-T1 level of the spine involving the 7th (lowest) vertebra of the neck and the 1st thoracic vertebrae. Between the bodies of the vertebrae are situated the cartilage discs which serve to cushion trauma to the vertebrae. With age and degenerative arthritic changes of the spine there are two phenomena which may happen and are described here. One is disc bulges, displacement of the disc. The other is formation of bony spurs which are called osteophytes. Alone or in combination they can compress spinal structures such as the nerves or the spinal cord. So in this case we have such a compression caused by both a bulging disc and an osteophyte in combination. It is a broad based protrusion veering to the left.
The foramina are the canals from which the nerves leave the spinal cord on both sides, there's a pair of them leaving at each level. On the left the bulging disc is causing a marked narrowing of this canal and hence is compressing the nerve as it traverses the foramen.
What does that mean from a practical point of view....if your doctor thinks that the symptoms are mainly related to that nerve compression, if there is severe pain in the territory supplied by that nerve and neurological deficits corresponding particularly to that nerve on physical neurological exam, then surgery to relieve that compression may be considered (if other conservative methods such as anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy fail that is). If on the other hand the symptoms and signs are more widespread, related to the diffuse changes on many levels I see on the report you kindly provided, than it is unlikely that operating on that bulging disc would bring major improvement.
I hope to have been of help.
Disc displacement and bony spurs causing nerve compression
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
It describes the C7-T1 level of the spine involving the 7th (lowest) vertebra of the neck and the 1st thoracic vertebrae. Between the bodies of the vertebrae are situated the cartilage discs which serve to cushion trauma to the vertebrae. With age and degenerative arthritic changes of the spine there are two phenomena which may happen and are described here. One is disc bulges, displacement of the disc. The other is formation of bony spurs which are called osteophytes. Alone or in combination they can compress spinal structures such as the nerves or the spinal cord. So in this case we have such a compression caused by both a bulging disc and an osteophyte in combination. It is a broad based protrusion veering to the left.
The foramina are the canals from which the nerves leave the spinal cord on both sides, there's a pair of them leaving at each level. On the left the bulging disc is causing a marked narrowing of this canal and hence is compressing the nerve as it traverses the foramen.
What does that mean from a practical point of view....if your doctor thinks that the symptoms are mainly related to that nerve compression, if there is severe pain in the territory supplied by that nerve and neurological deficits corresponding particularly to that nerve on physical neurological exam, then surgery to relieve that compression may be considered (if other conservative methods such as anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy fail that is). If on the other hand the symptoms and signs are more widespread, related to the diffuse changes on many levels I see on the report you kindly provided, than it is unlikely that operating on that bulging disc would bring major improvement.
I hope to have been of help.
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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