A Triangle Model of the Pathoanatomy of Congenital Cervical Stenosis

Cervical myelopathy is the leading cause of spinal cord dysfunction worldwide; these patients have a high rate of underlying congenital cervical stenosis (CCS). CCS describes a patient with a decreased spinal canal diameter at multiple levels of the cervical spine in the absence of degenerative changes. Despite the recognition of a patient subpopulation with CCS throughout the literature, the anatomical features that lead to this condition have not been established. Knowledge of the pathoanatomy associated with CCS may lead to alterations in surgical technique for this patient population that may improve outcomes.