Prognosis for Tethered Spinal Cord

When attachments of tissue abnormally stretch the spinal cord inside the spinal column and limit its movement, the resulting condition is called tethered spinal cord syndrome. With treatment, the prognosis is good, with most patients experiencing a normal life expectancy, but the person may have some neurological and movement problems.

Cause

• Improper growth of the brain and spinal cord (neural tube) during fetal development may lead to tethered spinal cord syndrome. The condition is often associated with the birth defect spina bifida, which involves an incomplete development of the brain, spinal cord or their protective covering (meninges).

Symptoms

• Tethered spinal cord syndrome is a progressive neurological disorder. In children, symptoms may include lesions, hairy patches or fatty tumors on the lower back, as well as leg pain, numbness, tingling or weakness, scoliosis, low back pain or bowel and bladder problems.

Delayed Diagnosis

• In mild cases, tethered spinal cord syndrome may be present at birth, but not diagnosed until later in life when an adult experiences sensory and movement problems and loses bowel and bladder control.

Causes in Adults

• Tethered spinal cord can also occur later in life due to a tumor, a benign, fatty growth called a lipoma, spinal cord injury or spinal surgery, usually due to scar tissue that forms around the spinal cord.

Treatment

• According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, early surgery can prevent more neurological problems in children. If surgery is not advisable, doctors can cut the spinal cord nerve roots to relieve pain. In adults, surgery to free the spinal cord may improve function or other symptoms. Any other treatment only relieves symptoms.