Tethered Cord Syndrome. Symptoms of Tethered Spinal Cord. Tethered Cord Syndrome can be difficult to diagnose in babies and children since the symptoms may be subtle and insidious over time. Tethered Cord (TC) is a disorder in which the spinal cord is "stuck" to a structure … Background: Tethered cord syndrome is a well-defined condition, the management of which is fairly uniform. Tethered Cord Syndrome is a condition where the spinal cord is abnormally attached within the bony spine causing stretching and tugging that can be painful and lead to disability. Normally, the spinal cord moves freely through fluid within the spine from the base of the brain down to the lower back. The pathophysiology is unclear and may be conceptually incongruent with current understanding of typical tethered cord syndrome. The spinal cord normally moves freely within the spinal column. Tethered cord is a complex disorder that is best treated at a major medical center by a neurosurgeon with expertise in the condition. All forms involve the pulling of the spinal cord at the base of the spinal canal, literally a tethered cord. - Discussion: - tethered cord syndrome is more frequent in children who have a myelomeningocele at level of L4 & L5 as opposed … Tethered cord syndrome is a rare neurological condition in which the spinal cord is attached (tethered) to the surrounding tissues of the spine. The entity of an occult tight filum terminale syndrome, characterized by clinical findings consistent with a tethered cord syndrome, but with the conus ending in a normal position and Filum > 2mm but no fatty infiltration. Tethered cord syndrome (TCS) is a clinical condition of multiple etiologies that occurs when an anchoring element results in the conus medullaris lying at a position lower than normal, leading to neurologic, urologic, and musculoskeletal deterioration. If your child has a tethered cord, also known as tethered cord syndrome, some disease, trauma or disorder has caused the cord to attach to the spinal column. All About Adult Tethered Cord Syndrome. In contrast, occult tethered cord syndrome is a recently defined entity, where the management is still controversial. Related to spina bifida, this condition is characterized by a spinal cord located in an abnormally low position within the spinal canal. What is tethered cord syndrome (TCS)? That is that a tethered cord is pulling the brain down, thus leading to Chiari malformation thus these patients require detethering. Spine surgery, Los Angeles patients receive, is usually the preferred treatment if the condition … Though more often developed in childhood, adult tethered cord syndrome can go undetected until later in life. TCS means your spinal cord is pulled down and tied (tethered) within your spinal column. The most common symptoms of tethered cord, such as back pain, abnormal gait and urinary accidents are frequently attributed to other causes during childhood. Tethered cord syndrome ( TCS) refers to a group of neurological disorders that relate to malformations of the spinal cord. Various forms include tight filum terminale, lipomeningomyelocele, split cord malformations ( diastematomyelia ), dermal sinus tracts, and dermoids . Soon after conception, special cells join to create a tube that … N= 60 children (ages 3-18 years) followed for more than 6 months (mean 13.9 months). At the Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center, it is one of the conditions treated by the specialists at the Chiari CARE program. That interfaces with EDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome) patients, who have super stretchy ligaments, because it’s believed that the connective tissue that normally anchors the brain and holds it up is too loose, thus allowing it to hang low … This prevents the spinal cord from moving to keep up with the lengthening of the spine as it grows. When it is tethered, it pulls during activity, causing pain and other problems. As your child grows, the spinal cord can stretch, causing damage to the cord and the nerves around it. What is tethered cord syndrome? Children may have several symptoms of tethered spinal cord, including: Back pain or shooting pain in the legs; Weakness, numbness or problems with muscle function in the legs; Tremors or spasms in the leg muscles; Changes in the way the feet look, like higher arches or curled toes Patients with progressive symptoms related to the TCS, as well as asymptomatic patients at high or unpredictable risk of … Request an Appointment | …