Trauma and burns: central cord syndrome: practice question

A General Surgery question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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General Surgery · Trauma and burns: central cord syndrome

Sample item

A 65-year-old man with cervical spondylosis falls forward and hyperextends his neck. Afterwards both arms are much weaker than his legs, with a patchy sensory loss and urinary retention, but sacral sensation is preserved. What is the diagnosis?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Central cord syndrome

Hyperextension injury in a spondylotic neck compresses the cord between osteophytes and the ligamentum flavum. The central grey matter and medial corticospinal fibres to the arms are affected most, so arm weakness exceeds leg weakness, with sacral sparing. Prognosis for walking is relatively good.

Option by option

  • A. Central cord syndrome (correct)

    Correct. Disproportionate upper limb weakness with sacral sparing marks central cord syndrome.

  • B. Anterior cord syndrome

    Anterior cord syndrome causes loss of motor function and pain-temperature sensation below the lesion with preserved vibration.

  • C. Posterior cord syndrome

    Posterior cord syndrome is rare and causes loss of proprioception and vibration.

  • D. Brown-Sequard syndrome

    Brown-Sequard syndrome is a hemisection with ipsilateral motor loss and contralateral pain-temperature loss.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is A, Central cord syndrome. Hyperextension injury in a spondylotic neck compresses the cord between osteophytes and the ligamentum flavum.

Why is "Anterior cord syndrome" not the answer?

Anterior cord syndrome causes loss of motor function and pain-temperature sensation below the lesion with preserved vibration.

Why is "Posterior cord syndrome" not the answer?

Posterior cord syndrome is rare and causes loss of proprioception and vibration.

Why is "Brown-Sequard syndrome" not the answer?

Brown-Sequard syndrome is a hemisection with ipsilateral motor loss and contralateral pain-temperature loss.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Trauma and burns: central cord syndrome in General Surgery. The central grey matter and medial corticospinal fibres to the arms are affected most, so arm weakness exceeds leg weakness, with sacral sparing. Prognosis for walking is relatively good.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Trauma and burns: central cord syndrome?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.