Complete Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: Current Insights Regarding Timing of Surgery and Level of Injury.

ABSTRACT:

Study design

A narrative literature review.

Objectives

To review the neurological recovery patterns in traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) patients with a complete lack of motor and sensory function below the level of injury (ie, ASIA A [American Spinal Injury Association scale]), as well as the impact of level of injury and timing of surgical intervention.

Results

Spontaneous neurological recovery in patients with complete tSCI differs per level of injury: patients with cervical and thoracolumbar tSCI recover ≥1 ASIA grade in 17.3% to 34.0% 1 year after injury, compared with 10.7% to 18.6% in thoracic tSCI. Surgical decompression within 24 hours has a beneficial effect on neurological recovery in patients with complete cervical tSCI, whereas this effect is less clear

SUBMITTER: Ter Wengel PV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7160809 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature