Clinical features
The clinical features of spinal artery infarction depend upon the segmental level of damage. Typical features include:
- sudden radicular pain and para- or quadra-paresis
- 'spinal shock'-like phenomena:
- limbs initially flaccid but within days, become spastic
- reflexes initially absent but within days, become hyper-reflexic with extensor plantars
- loss of pain and temperature sensation up to the level of cord damage - due to involvement of anterolateral spinothalamic tracts
- urinary and faecal incompetence from lesions in the lower lumbar / sacral areas
N.B.: fine touch and joint position sense are usually unaffected since the dorsal columns are supplied by the posterior spinal artery.
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