The development of intramedullary cavitation following spinal cord injury: an experimental pathological study.

It is concluded from this investigation that localised intramedullary cavitation will develop following non-disruptive spinal cord trauma if the magnitude of original trauma and resulting vascular damage is sufficient. Although an adhesive arachnoiditis also occurs with similar amounts of trauma, the initial vascular damage and subsequent reparative changes within the spinal cord appear to adequately explain the cavitation observed.