Romberg test - please help understand

  I have had neurological problems over the last nine yers, and had fusions at C4-5-6-7 2 years ago. I was recently seen by a neurologist as I continue to have neck pain and loss of sensations in both hands, although the left is a little worse than the right. He wrote a letter to my neurosurgeon in which he talks about a positive Romberg. He also talks about brisk knee jerks and says he had flexor plantar responses, which apparently were absent on a prior visit. Can you help me understand what this means? Is he concerned about cervical myelopathy? Thanks

[CCF Neuro MD MJD]

The Rhomberg test was the part of your neurolgic exam when the doctor asked you to stand with your legs close together and then close your eyes.  Several factors coordinate balance - your cerebellum which deals with coordination, visual clues, and imput from the nerves in your legs that inform the brain about the position of your joints and muscles.  The doctor checks your cerebellar function during the exam - when that is OK, you should be able to stand with your feet close together.  Then the visual cues are removed with eye closure. If you fall, it could be an indication that your brain in not getting the correct imput from your legs.  This can happen in severe nerve problems when your position sense in the feet and ankles is disrupted. This can also be seen in disorders that affect a part of your spine that conveys this position sense to your brain.  Brisk reflexes and "Extensor Plantar Responses" (the toe goes upward when he rubs the sole of your foot) occur in brain and spine diseases (i.e diseases of the central nervous system).  From the combination of signs that you describe in your doctor's report, it sounds like he's concerned about a process that might be affecting your spine.  You should ask him further about what he's concerned about.
Hope this was of help.