Neurological manifestations of cervical spondylosis: an overview of signs, symptoms, and pathophysiology.

Abstract

The neurological manifestations of cervical spondylosis include symptomatic compression of the spinal cord (myelopathy), nerve roots (radiculopathy), or a combination of the two (myeloradiculopathy). The term myeloradiculopathy herein defines these often indistinct and inseparable entities. The pathophysiology of myeloradiculopathy is multifactorial in nature, and the natural history of untreated myeloradiculopathy is not clearly defined. We review the signs, symptoms, and clinical findings of cervical myelopathy, radiculopathy, and myeloradiculopathy. Standard grading techniques are also reviewed.