Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39671005›Full record

ArticleChild's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery2024

Surgical outcomes of tethered cord syndrome in patients with normal conus medullaris and filum terminale without urologic symptoms.

Alper Tabanli, Emrah Akcay, Hakan Yilmaz, Seymen Ozdemir, Mesut Mete, Mehmet Selcuki

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Article in Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

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3citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Alper TabanliDepartment of Neurosurgery, Izmir Tinaztepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey. dralpertabanli@hotmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-2378-507X
Emrah AkcayDepartment of Neurosurgery, Izmir Tinaztepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.ORCID 0000-0002-9666-0219
Hakan YilmazDepartment of Neurosurgery, University of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Izmir State Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.ORCID 0000-0002-2180-1195
Seymen OzdemirDepartment of Neurosurgery, Private Gazi Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.ORCID 0000-0002-9561-5651
Mesut MeteDepartment of Neurosurgery, Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Manisa, Turkey.ORCID 0000-0002-7182-2955
Mehmet SelcukiDepartment of Neurosurgery, Izmir Tinaztepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.ORCID 0000-0002-2310-3016

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTethered cord syndrome (TCS) typically presents with urologic symptoms and abnormal imaging findings. However, some patients present with normal conus medullaris level and filum terminale appearance on MRI. This research seeks to assess the intended surgical results in this particular group of TCS patients who do not present with urologic complaints, under the premise that the surgical approach goes a long way in preventing the onset of urologic abnormalities.

methodsThis retrospective study included 59 operated patients with tethered cord syndrome who had a normal level terminating conus medullaris and a normal looking filum terminale without urologic symptoms. Of these patients, 38 were female and 21 were male. All patients underwent somatosensory-evoked potentials (SSEPs), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The surgical technique used was flavotomy, which involves cutting the filum terminale without performing a laminectomy.

resultsThe study population had a mean age of 22.5 years (SD = 13.2). During the mean postoperative follow-up period of 2.5 years, none of the patients developed urinary incontinence. Preoperative SSEP abnormalities included conduction block in 39 patients (66.1%), low amplitude in 12 patients (20.3%), and delayed N22 wave latency in 8 patients (13.5%). The surgical procedures were completed without morbidity or mortality, and all patients showed significant postoperative improvement in SSEP parameters.

conclusionOur results indicate that even though the filum terminale might have a normal looking MRI, TCS can also occur due to some potential microscopic or structural abnormality. The study proves SSEP to be useful in TCS diagnosis and it also proposes that if surgery is done early before any urologic complaints arise, chances of their onset will be minimized. Such findings support the view that surgical measures should be entertained in symptomatic patients with abnormal SSEP but normal MRI.

Indexed as

Cauda EquinaEvoked Potentials, SomatosensoryMagnetic Resonance ImagingNeural Tube DefectsAdolescentAdultChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansMaleNeurosurgical ProceduresRetrospective StudiesSpinal CordTreatment OutcomeUrologic DiseasesConus medullarisFilum terminaleNeurological symptomsSomatosensory-evoked potentialsSurgical interventionTethered cord syndromeUrologic symptoms

Identifiers

PMID39671005

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.