Lesion characteristics are associated with bowel, bladder, and overall independence following cervical spinal cord injury.

ABSTRACT:

Context/objective

There is a growing global interest in quantifying spinal cord lesions and spared neural tissue using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). The primary objective of this study was to assess the relationships between spinal cord lesion characteristics assessed on MRI and bowel, bladder, and overall independence following SCI.

Design

Retrospective, exploratory study.

Participants

93 individuals with cervical SCI who were enrolled in a local United States Model Systems SCI database from 2010 to 2017.

Methods

Clinical and MRI data were obtained for potential participants, and MRIs of eligible participants were analyzed. Explanatory variables, captured on MRIs, included intramedullary lesion length (IMLL), mi

SUBMITTER: Thornton WA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12329833 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature