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Cauda Equina Injuries

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Management and Rehabilitation of Spinal Cord Injuries

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Abstract

Injuries of cauda equina and conus medullaris are generally clinically not clearly distinguishable and are often described together because they often occur as combined injuries. Anatomically, the cauda equina is defined as a bundle of the spinal roots located below the tip of the conus medullaris around the filum terminale. Unlikely the cervical and thoracic spinal cord and the corresponding surround spine, the conus medullaris is condensed to less than two vertebral heights. The conus medullaris is located from the T12/L1 intervertebral disc space to the L1/L2 intervertebral disc space. Within this short distance, approximately ten spinal cord segments, L1–S5, are concentrated in the conus medullaris and are not in close spatial relationship to the respective vertebrae.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Rehabilitation Hospital, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, South Korea

    Hyun-Yoon Ko MD, PhD

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  1. Hyun-Yoon Ko MD, PhD
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Ko, HY. (2019). Cauda Equina Injuries. In: Management and Rehabilitation of Spinal Cord Injuries. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7033-4_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7033-4_15

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  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-7032-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-7033-4

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