Cervical flexion myelopathy: a “tight dural canal mechanism”

Abstract

The authors describe a case of flexion myelopathy due to specific morphological changes of the cervical cord, termed a "tight dural canal mechanism." The patient was an 18-year-old man with progressive weakness and muscle atrophy of the left arm. Neuroradiological examination revealed that the lower cervical cord was compressed during flexion of the cervical spine, but that there was no disc disease or cervical vertebral instability. The cord compression was attributed to a pinching mechanism by the posterior border of the vertebral body and the posterior component of the dura on flexion.