Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) represents the final consequence of a series of degenerative changes in the cervical spine, resulting in cervical spinal canal stenosis and mechanical stress on the cervical spinal cord. This process leads to subsequent pathophysiological processes in the spinal cord tissues. The primary mechanism of injury is degenerative compression of the cervical spinal cord, detectable by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), serving as a hallmark for diagnosing DCM. However, the relative resilience of the cervical spinal cord to mechanical compression leads to clinical-radiological discordance, i.e., some individuals may exhibit MRI findings of DCC without the clinical signs and symptoms of myelopathy. This degenerative compression of the cervical spinal cord without clinical signs of myelopathy, potentially serving as a precursor to the development of DCM, remains a somewhat controversial topic. In this review article, we elaborate on and provide commentary on the terminology, epidemiology, natural course, diagnosis, predictive value, risks, and practical management of this condition-all of which are subjects of ongoing debate.

Danish Research Center for Magnetic Resonance Center for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre Copenhagen Denmark

Department of Biophysics Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czechia

Department of Neurology Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Palacký University Olomouc Olomouc Czechia

Department of Neurology University Hospital Brno Brno Czechia

Department of Neurology University Hospital Olomouc Olomouc Czechia

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Palacký University Olomouc Olomouc Czechia

Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine University Hospital Brno Brno Czechia

Department of Radiology Center for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre Copenhagen Denmark

Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czechia

Mila Quebec AI Institute Montreal QC Canada

NeuroPoly Lab Institute of Biomedical Engineering Polytechnique Montreal Montreal QC Canada

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A Controlled Single-Centre Pilot Study to Evaluate the Effect of Prophylactic Surgery in Asymptomatic Degenerative Cervical Cord Compression