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Primary tethered cord syndrome refers to a group of neural tube defects that are not externally obvious, and, if detected at an early age, surgical intervention may prevent the significant irreversible neurological deficits. This study was performed to evaluate the presenting clinical features of patients with primary tethered cord syndrome and the indications of surgery in such patients as well as the clinical and urological outcome. In all cases, the indication for surgery was the presence of a tethered cord on magnetic resonance imaging, the criteria for tethering being a low-lying conus (below L₁-L₂) and a thickened filum (>2 mm). Urodynamic studies were performed before detethering. Microsurgical detethering of low-lying cord was then performed, and the patients were then followed clinically and urologically for 6 months. Pain responded the most to detethering while limb weakness and urological symptoms responded the least. Clinical improvement in urological symptoms correlated with improvement in urodynamic parameters. A urodynamic study identified improvement in a larger number of patients and also deterioration in a few patients which was not visible clinically; this may point to its high sensitivity and usefulness in preceding clinical manifestations in a future follow-up.

Objective:To study the clinical features and treatment outcome of pediatric patients with bony craniovertebral abnormalities.Materials and Methods:The authors studied 189 consecutive cases of pediatric bony craniovertebral junction abnormalities operated between 2001 and March, 2010.Results:The pathologies were developmental (n = 162), traumatic (n = 18) and tuberculous (n = 9). Surgical procedures included transoral decompression (n = 118), occipitocervical fusion (OCF, n = 139), C 1 -C 2 fusion (n = 45), and posterior fossa decompression (n = 5). Methods for OCF included contoured stainless steel rods (n = 86), titanium lateral mass screws and plates (n = 47) and steel wires (n = 6). Constructs of all patients of posterior fixation with contoured rods and wires or lateral mass screw and rod who could be followed up were either stable/fused or were fused and stable. No implant failure was noticed among these two surgical procedures. However, 6 patients with C 1-C 2 fusion had broken wires on follow-up requiring repeat posterior fixation. Good neurological outcome was observed even in poor-grade patients. No significant effect on the curvature or growth of the spine was observed at follow-up.Conclusions:Pediatric craniovertebral junction anomalies can be managed successfully with good outcomes using a low cost contoured rod and wires.

Objective and Importance: Two-level bony spurs are rare and also a very long segment of bony spur is very rare. Bony spur with a single dural covering is not reported in the literature. Here, we report a case of prophylactic surgery performed on a patient with a bony spur with a single dural covering who showed a good postoperative outcome. This case highlights the importance of prophylactic surgery in such patients to avoid cord injuries. Clinical Presentation: Since birth a 1-year-old child had had a tuft of hair at the dorsal (D₆ and D₇) region. The patient was examined and found to have scoliosis with convexity towards the right. There was no neurological deficit. MRI and CT spine scans showed 2-level type 1 split cord malformation (SCM) and there was a low-lying conus at the L_3–4 level. Intervention: The patient was operated on at the age of 1 year and 2 separate bony septae were observed. The upper one extended from D₅ to D₉ and the lower one was at the D₁₁ level. The bony spurs were excised. The filum was sectioned at the L_4–5 level by a separate incision. The patient had a good postoperative recovery. Conclusion: With meticulous planning and careful surgery, prophylactic surgery can have a very good outcome in long-segment and two-level type 1 SCM.