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Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy

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Abstract

In the cervical spine, neural impingement can occur in two main locations: within the spinal canal, affecting the spinal cord, the nerve root(s), or both, or within the neuro foramen, where the exiting root can be affected. Cervical radiculopathy (CR) is the condition where one or two nerve roots are mechanically compressed. Degenerative disorders like cervical soft disk herniation, osteochondrotic bone spurs with consecutive foraminal stenosis, or a combination of both are the most common causes.

Degenerative soft disk herniation occurs when intervertebral disks desiccate and the disk space reduces with consequent protrusion of the annulus fibrosus or prolapse of the nucleus pulposus through a defect in the annulus fibrosus.

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Correspondence to Kirsten Schmieder MD .

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Brenke, C., Schmieder, K. (2016). Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy. In: van de Kelft, E. (eds) Surgery of the Spine and Spinal Cord. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27613-7_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27613-7_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-27611-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-27613-7

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