Progressive spinal stenosis can cause gait disturbances due to involvement of which spinal tract?

Progressive spinal stenosis can cause gait disturbances due to involvement of which spinal tract?

• A. Corticospinal tract
• B. Anterior horn cells
• C. Posterior columns
• D. Spinothalamic tract

Answer: (C)

Gait disturbance from progressive spinal stenosis mainly comes from compression of the dorsal (posterior) columns, which carry proprioception and vibration from the legs to the brain. When these pathways are affected, you lose accurate sense of limb position, leading to sensory ataxia: an unsteady, broad-based gait that often worsens with eyes closed because visual input can no longer compensate. If other tracts were involved, different signs would appear—compression of the corticospinal tract would cause weakness and a spastic gait, involvement of anterior horn cells would produce LMN signs like muscle atrophy, and spinothalamic tract involvement would cause pain and temperature loss rather than a primary gait disturbance.

Gait disturbance from progressive spinal stenosis mainly comes from compression of the dorsal (posterior) columns, which carry proprioception and vibration from the legs to the brain. When these pathways are affected, you lose accurate sense of limb position, leading to sensory ataxia: an unsteady, broad-based gait that often worsens with eyes closed because visual input can no longer compensate. If other tracts were involved, different signs would appear—compression of the corticospinal tract would cause weakness and a spastic gait, involvement of anterior horn cells would produce LMN signs like muscle atrophy, and spinothalamic tract involvement would cause pain and temperature loss rather than a primary gait disturbance.