CPTE — Spine Conditions & Surgery Clinical Impressions

These vocabulary flashcards cover common cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine conditions, their clinical presentations, red flags, and post-operative monitoring criteria as detailed in the lecture transcript.

Mechanical low back pain

Localized pain related to posture, lifting, or movement without neurological symptoms; ROM may be limited but neurological screen is normal.

Lumbar disc herniation

Low back pain with leg pain that may worsen with sitting, flexion, coughing, or sneezing; often reproduces symptoms with SLR or slump tests.

Lumbar radiculopathy

Radiating leg pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness associated with lumbar nerve-root involvement and dermatomal/myotomal changes.

Cervical radiculopathy

Neck pain radiating into the arm with possible numbness, tingling, or weakness; symptoms may be supported by Spurling and distraction tests.

Cervical myelopathy

Neck pain and stiffness associated with hand clumsiness, gait/balance problems, and UMN signs like hyperreflexia, clonus, Babinski, or Hoffmann.

Lumbar spinal stenosis

A condition in older adults where back and leg symptoms (neurogenic claudication) worsen with standing or walking and are relieved by sitting or flexion.

Spondylolisthesis

Low back pain often increasing with standing or extension; clinical signs may include a step deformity and imaging confirms translation.

Lumbar spondylosis / OA

Gradual stiffness and back pain worse with prolonged activity; objective findings include reduced ROM and stiffness with possible imaging evidence of degenerative changes.

Cervical spondylosis

Neck pain and stiffness with reduced cervical ROM; may include referred arm symptoms or neurological findings if nerve compression occurs.

Thoracic mechanical pain

Localized thoracic spine pain related to posture, movement, or prolonged sitting, typically with a normal neurological screen.

Compression fracture

Sudden or progressive back pain often following a fall or low-force trauma; characterized by focal vertebral tenderness and painful loading.

Ankylosing spondylitis / inflammatory back pain

Spinal disorder in young adults featuring morning stiffness $>30\,\text{min}$ that improves with activity and may cause night pain.

Cauda equina syndrome

A medical emergency involving severe/progressive bilateral leg symptoms, saddle anesthesia, and new bladder, bowel, or sexual dysfunction.

Spinal infection

Constant, severe back pain often accompanied by fever, malaise, and systemic illness; requires urgent medical referral.

Spinal malignancy

Persistent back pain not clearly mechanical, often characterized by unexplained weight loss, history of cancer, and constant or night pain.

Cervical fracture

Condition following trauma with severe neck pain and midline tenderness; requires immobilization and emergency assessment.

Lumbar fracture

Condition resulting from significant trauma or high fracture risk, characterized by severe localized pain and vertebral tenderness.

Post-op infection clinical signs

Increasing pain, fever, chills, malaise, or wound site signs such as redness, warmth, swelling, and drainage.

Post-op neurological deterioration

New or worsening weakness, numbness, gait changes, or bowel/bladder symptoms compared to baseline following surgery.

Neural mechanosensitivity clinical sign

Reproduction of familiar radiating symptoms during SLR or slump tests.

Upper Motor Neuron (UMN) signs

Clinical findings including hyperreflexia, clonus, Babinski sign, and Hoffmann sign, often seen in cervical myelopathy.

CPTE verbalization formula

“Based on the subjective findings of ___ and objective findings of ___, my clinical impression is ___. I would perform ___ to confirm my hypothesis and ___ to rule out serious pathology.”

Spine surgery verbalization

Statement describing the clinical impression of expected post-operative pain, stiffness, weakness, and reduced mobility while monitoring wound, neuro status, and surgeon precautions.