Elderly man regains movement after spine surgery

A 65-year-old man who had sustained an acute spinal injury while on vacation in Shimla after a fall, and then suffered quadriparesis (weakness in all four limbs), was treated at Dr. Mehta’s Hospitals, Velappanchavadi.

At a press conference on Wednesday (October 14, 2026) Ganesh Kumar, consultant spine surgeon, said the patient previously had chronic neck pain, but did not get it treated. After the fall, he was unable to move and was brought to Chennai by train. He was found to have cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament, a rare progressive condition in which the flexible ligament that runs along the back of the spine becomes calcified. This gradually narrowed the spinal canal, placing pressure on the spinal cord.

Dr. Kumar and his team performed a cervical spine procedure using intraoperative neuromonitoring, involving posterior decompression to relieve pressure on the spinal cord and screw fixation to stabilise affected spinal segments Subsequently, he underwent an intensive rehabilitation programme.

The patient is now able to walk independently and has regained fine motor skills, Dr. Kumar said.

S. Ramesh Babu, medical director, said the case highlighted multidisciplinary team work. Leena Chandrasekaran, head, nursing operations, was present.