In this educational video, Dr. Robin Bowman from Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago demonstrates the surgical release of a fatty filum terminale in a patient with tethered cord syndrome. Tethered cord syndrome is a stretch-induced condition that can cause progressive neurological deficits, including gait abnormalities, loss of bladder control, and chronic pain.

Key Highlights:

• Understanding Tethered Cord Syndrome: How abnormal attachment of the filum terminale stretches the spinal cord and impacts function.
• Preoperative Imaging: The use of spinal MRI to identify the location of the conus, tethering lesions, and spina bifida occulta.
• Surgical Technique: A step-by-step overview of the untethering procedure, including laminotomy, nerve root stimulation, and filum transection.
• Postoperative Closure: Ensuring a watertight dura closure and layered wound repair to optimize healing and outcomes.

Learn about this critical surgical procedure designed to relieve symptoms and prevent further neurological deterioration in children with tethered cord syndrome.