Cauda equina syndrome and spinal stenosis are rare and serious conditions that often begin with a common symptom – namely, back pain. While back pain is one of the most common reasons patients seek care from a family doctor, at a walk-in clinic, or even from the emergency department, doctors are trained to look for “red flags” in patients with this common symptom to rule out pressure on the spinal cord, which can lead to serious harm if there is a delayed diagnosis.
What is cauda equina syndrome?
Cauda equina syndrome generally refers to damage to the bundle of nerves below the end of the spinal cord. This bundle of spinal nerves and spinal nerve “rootlets” (i.e., the initial segment of a nerve leaving the central nervous system) is called the “cauda equina.” It received that name because this bundle of nerves actually resembles the appearance of a horse’ tail (cauda equina is literally “tail of horse” in Latin). There are 18 nerve roots in the cauda equina, and cauda equina syndrome is characterized by the loss of function in two or more of these nerve roots.
In practical terms, cauda equina syndrome is a medical emergency. Simply put, it means that something is causing damage to a bundle of nerves responsible for controlling the lower limbs and pelvic organs. If there is a delay in detecting cauda equina syndrome, permanent damage to those nerves will occur, which may give rise to a legal action in medical malpractice for the delayed diagnosis of cauda equina syndrome.
More specifically, when cauda equina syndrome – or another serious spinal cord disorder – is diagnosed late, it usually results in “myelopathy,” which is an injury to the spinal cord caused by severe compression. If diagnosis is made promptly, a neurosurgeon can relieve this compression with emergency surgery. If that happens quickly enough, lower limb function can often be spared.
Because the timing of diagnosing cauda equina syndrome (and similar conditions, like spinal stenosis or an epidural abscess) is very important, patients who suffer ongoing difficulties after diagnosis should speak with a lawyer familiar with cases involving cauda equina syndrome (or other similar conditions) to determine whether medical malpractice may have resulted in the delayed diagnosis.
What causes cauda equina syndrome?
There are several known causes of cauda equina syndrome. The most common cause is spinal disc herniation, meaning there was an injury to the tissue between vertebrae. This can be caused by trauma to the spine, but cauda equina syndrome often occurs in the absence of sudden, noticeable trauma. Often, disc herniation happens as the result of ongoing strain.” to “There are several known causes of cauda equina syndrome.
The most common cause is spinal disc herniation, meaning there was an injury to the tissue between vertebrae. This can be caused by trauma to the spine, but cauda equina syndrome often occurs in the absence of sudden, noticeable trauma. Often, disc herniation happens as the result of ongoing strain.
If you’re facing these issues, consulting a cauda equina syndrome lawyer is advisable for proper guidance.
Other causes of cauda equina syndrome include epidural abscess, epidural tumor, lumbar spine spondylosis, and inflammatory conditions (such as sarcoidosis).
Whatever is causing pressure to the cauda equina, it is essential that a diagnosis is made in a timely fashion because the next step is emergency surgery to relieve the pressure in an effort to spare as much nerve function as possible. A lawyer familiar with cases of cauda equina syndrome can help you understand how a delayed diagnosis may be grounds to seek damages for medical malpractice.
How is cauda equina syndrome diagnosed?
In Canada, the standard of care requires doctors to rule out the “red flags” of cauda equina syndrome in cases where patients report back pain along with symptoms like saddle anesthesia, bowel or bladder dysfunction, or a gait disturbance. If those symptoms are present, an urgent MRI is required to diagnose the problem and then an emergency laminectomy is required.
What are my legal options if my spinal condition was not diagnosed in a timely manner?
If you have suffered from cauda equina syndrome or any other condition affecting your spinal cord, it is important to seek legal advice from an experience medical malpractice lawyer who can provide an independent opinion on the viability of an action in medical malpractice.
When there is a delayed diagnosis of spinal cord compression, the consequences can be serious, including permanent nerve damage impeding your ability to walk. If medical malpractice was responsible for the delayed diagnosis, a legal action can seek damages for the losses you have experienced, including any reduced capacity to work or ongoing care costs.
An experienced medical malpractice lawyer will help you understand how to prove a case when the delayed diagnosis of spinal cord compression has caused permanent harm.
The lawyers at BIMMA have extensive experience in this area and are available to discuss your legal rights via a free consultation. We are proud to offer a free consultation on a completely no obligation basis to help people who have suffered the delayed diagnosis of spinal cord compression understand whether they may be able to sue in medical malpractice.
