Cauda equina syndrome: an anatomically driven review

Cauda equina syndrome results from an injury to the lumbosacral nerve roots below the tip of the conus medullaris, occuring in between 2 and 6% of all laminectomies performed for lumbar disc herniation. This article relates the anatomy of the nervous system of the bladder, rectum, anus and sexual organs to the signs and symptoms of cauda equina syndrome, and reviews the literature for the acute management of these patients.