Tethered cord syndrome

Abstract

Introduction Tethered cord syndrome (TCS) is a stretch-induced functional disorder of the spinal cord caused by the anchoring of its caudal end by an inelastic structure. The neurologic dysfunction with TCS can be attributed to lumbosacral cord lesions, and is reversible if cord-untethering surgery is done at an appropriate time. Clinical and basic research has indicated that oxidative metabolism is impaired in the tethered spinal cord and that there is a link between recovery from the neurologic dysfunction and oxidative metabolism when the stretched cord is released.1.