What Is Thoracic Spondylosis?

Thoracic spondylosis is one of the common diseases of spine disease, which is mainly caused by thoracic spine degeneration. It is a series of diseases including thoracic spinal stenosis, thoracic disc herniation, thoracic vertebral compression fractures, thoracic spinal joint disorders, thoracic spinal muscle strain, thoracic osteogenesis, thoracic posterior longitudinal ligament ossification, thoracic spine dislocation, lateral curvature, tendons Membrane incarceration, etc.

Basic Information

Visiting department

surgical

Common locations

thoracic

Common causes

Thoracic spine degeneration

Common symptoms

Back pain, chest pain, intercostal neuralgia, arm pain, numbness of the shoulders and back, antagonism, sweating, no sweating, chest tightness, palpitations, dizziness, insomnia, indigestion

Contagious

no

Causes of Thoracic Spondylosis

1. The main pathological changes include thoracic intervertebral disc herniation, intervertebral disc microcavity, narrowing of the intervertebral space and foraminal vertebra, pseudovertebral spondylolisthesis, vertebral edge and joint hyperplasia, and yellow ligament hypertrophy. The most common are intervertebral space and foraminal stenosis.

2. Increasing age and metabolic dysfunction and decline are the basic factors of its pathogenesis. The vast majority have a history of strain or cold, a history of trauma, postoperative recurrence or post-operative sequelae, and some patients have cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine disease at the same time.

Clinical manifestations of thoracic spondylosis

Chronic low back pain, chest pain, intercostal neuralgia, arm pain, numbness of the shoulders and back, ants feeling, sweating or no sweating, chest tightness, palpitations, dizziness, insomnia, indigestion, standing instability in severe cases , Walking difficulties, chest and abdomen sensation, abnormal stool, paraplegia and so on.

1. The common main manifestations of thoracic spondylosis are chest and back pain and humpback. Chest pain is severe in a curved sitting position.

2. The pain caused by the degeneration of the upper thoracic spine is radiated to the thorax;

3. In the case of lower thoracic spine lesions, the pain can be radiated to the abdominal wall and sometimes mistaken for angina.

4. Hyperplasia, such as stimulating the sympathetic nerves located next to the spine, can produce autonomic symptoms such as circulatory disorders.

5. The patient had kyphosis due to kyphosis due to narrowing of the intervertebral space.

6. Due to the restricted rib movement, the breathing range is reduced.

7. If the spinal cord is decompressed, numbness of the lower limbs and pyramidal tract signs may occur.

Thoracic Spondylosis

1. X-ray inspection

Thoracic vertebrae showed lip-like hyperplasia at the front edge of the vertebra, and subluxation of the small head of the ribs was seen in the orthophoto. Most of them show a wider thoracic spine space narrowing, cartilage plate sclerosis, lipoid osteophytes on the anterior or lateral margin of the vertebra. In some cases, changes such as shadows of Smock's nodules, thoracic scoliosis, and deepening of physiological curvature can be seen. Occasionally, lip-like hyperplasia of the posterior margin of the thoracic vertebra is seen, and it is believed that the diagnosis of this disease is of great significance and often indicates the possibility of disc herniation.

2. Laboratory inspection

HLA-B27, ESR, ASO, and RF should be investigated to rule out rheumatic diseases or ankylosing spondylitis.

Thoracic Spondylosis Treatment

Non-surgical therapy

(1) Rest Depending on the severity of the illness, absolute bed rest, general rest, or limited activity can be selected.

(2) Orthopedic massage and physiotherapy can promote blood circulation and stasis, dredge the meridians, and rejuvenate the tendons.

(3) Drug treatment includes oral sedatives, topical analgesic and anti-inflammatory ointment, blood circulation and stasis drugs, and other effective treatment measures.

2 surgical therapy

Surgery is currently the only effective method to treat thoracic spinal stenosis.