Surgical results in adult spinal cord tethering syndrome

In patients with spinal cord tethering syndrome, symptoms tend to worsen progressively if left untreated, and most symptoms improve to varying degrees after surgery. For example, pain can be relieved and sensory-motor function can be mostly or partially restored, but the recovery of bladder and rectal function is not satisfactory. Once the neurological function suffers organic damage, surgical treatment can only stabilize it from further deterioration, but it is difficult to restore it to normal. Since the results of surgery for adult-type spinal cord embolism syndrome are relatively inferior to those of children. Pang et al. treated 23 cases of adult-type spinal embolism syndrome. The results were: pain completely disappeared in 83.3%, the rest were reduced; sensory and motor function was normal in 20%, significantly improved in 66.7%, no change in 13.3%. None of the bladder and rectal function abnormalities returned to normal, and only 38.5% of the patients improved. There are many factors determining prognosis, which may be related to age, duration of disease, etiology, degree of nerve damage, surgical operation, and preoperative and postoperative care.