An oval opening in the occipital bone, at the base of the skull; the point at which the spinal cord passes and joins the brain stem. As it relates to a Chiari Malformation Type 1, both the cerebellum and the whole of the brainstem, should be above the Foramen Magnum.
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Laminectomy
Commonly part of a decompression surgery, in which the lamina is removed (back part of the vertebra) of one or more vertebrae in order to make room for the spinal cord and release pressure on the surrounding nerves.
Chiari Specialist
When we speak of a “Chiari Specialist,” we are generally speaking of a doctor (usually a Neurosurgeon) who has made Chiari Malformation and its comorbid conditions, their primary practice. While they might do other neurosurgical procedures, the number of Chiarians they treat, far outweigh their other patients (usually several a day/week). Because they have made the successful treatment of Chiari Malformation their life’s work, they usually have published research for patients and other doctors to reference.