Microsurgical treatment of tethered cord syndrome

    ZHEN Haiª²Ning, ZHANG Xiang, ZHANG Jianª²Ning, FEI Zhou, WANG Yanª²Gang, LI Bing, WANG Xiª²Ling, LIANG Jingª²Wen

    PLA Institute of Neurosurgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi¬ðan 710033, China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To study the methods and results of microsurgical treatment of tethered cord syndrome. METHODS: Clinical manufacture, pathological changes, microsurgical methods and results of 76 patients with tethered cord syndrome treated by one operational faculty in our department from January,1996 to August, 2002 were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Fiftyª²four cases (71%) of patients showed improvement post operation in hospital period (5 to 15 days). Fiftyª²two patients were followed up, in follow up period (0.5 to 7 years), 17% of cases were healed, 46% of cases got significant improvement, 23% of cases got moderate improvement, 13% of cases had no improvement. The total efficiency rate was 86%. No serious complications were observed. CONCLUSION: Microsurgical techniques could improve significantly the outcomes of tethered cord syndrome. Positive surgical management is needed for adult patients and patients who were not healed by first operation. ......