Early management of war missile spine and spinal cord injuries: experience with 21 cases

Pediatric case of a penetrating lumbar spinal injury

PURPOSE

Penetrating spinal injuries are generally extremely rare and are seldom encountered in pediatric patients. The non-compliance of pediatric patients with physical examination can sometimes delay diagnosis and treatment. Here, we present a case of a child who had a fall and suffered penetrating spinal trauma due to a small glass fragment.

CASE REPORT

A penetrating foreign body was detected in the lumbar spinal region of a 2-year-old patient with complaints of increased restlessness on physical activity followed by difficulty in walking. The patient was operated on and followed up without any complications in the perioperative and late postoperative periods.

CONCLUSION

A detailed physical examination is necessitated in the pediatric age group because of insufficient anamnesis. The high number of patients per physician, especially in societies having a low socioeconomic standard, prevents detailed examinations, and unnecessary examinations may cause delays in diagnosis. However, one must note that the skin findings of pediatric patients can be very helpful, especially in pediatric neurosurgery, and examination should not be neglected.

Surgical Intervention is Associated With Improvements in the ASIA Impairment Scale in Gunshot-induced Spinal Injuries of the Thoracic and Lumbar Spine

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study of patients from the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC).

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to compare the outcomes of patients with gunshot-induced spinal injuries (GSIs) treated operatively and nonoperatively.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

The treatment of neurological deficits associated with gunshot wounds to the spine has been controversial. Treatment has varied widely, ranging from nonoperative to aggressive surgery.

METHODS

Patient demographics, clinical information, and outcomes were extracted. Surgical intervention was defined as a "laminectomy, neural canal restoration, open reduction, spinal fusion, or internal fixation of the spine." The primary outcome was the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale. Statistical comparisons of baseline demographics and neurological outcomes between operative and nonoperative cohorts were performed.

RESULTS

In total, 961 patients with GSI and at least 1-year follow-up were identified from 1975 to 2015. The majority of patients were Black/African American (55.6%), male (89.7%), and 15-29 years old (73.8%). Of those treated surgically (19.7% of all patients), 34.2% had improvement in their ASIA Impairment Scale score at 1 year, compared with 20.6% treated nonoperatively. Overall, surgery was associated with a 2.0 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4-2.8] times greater likelihood of ASIA Impairment Scale improvement at 1 year. Specifically, benefit was seen in thoracic (odds ratio: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.4-4.6) and lumbar injuries (odds ratio: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.1-3.1), but not cervical injuries.

CONCLUSIONS

While surgical indications are always determined on an individualized basis, in our review of GSIs, surgical intervention was associated with a greater likelihood of neurological recovery. Specifically, patients with thoracic and lumbar GSIs had a 2.5 and 1.7-times greater likelihood of improvement in their ASIA Impairment Scale score 1 year after injury, respectively, if they underwent surgical intervention.

Gunshot Wounds to the Lumbosacral Spine: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES

Indications for surgical decompression of gunshot wounds to the lumbosacral spine are controversial and based on limited data.

METHODS

A systematic review of literature was conducted to identify studies that directly compare neurologic outcomes following operative and non-operative management of gunshot wounds to the lumbosacral spine. Studies were evaluated for degree of neurologic improvement, complications, and antibiotic usage. An odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were calculated for dichotomous outcomes which were then pooled by random-effects model meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Five studies were included that met inclusion criteria. The total rate of neurologic improvement was 72.3% following surgical intervention and 61.7% following non-operative intervention. A random-effects model meta-analysis was carried out which failed to show a statistically significant difference in the rate of neurologic improvement between surgical and non-operative intervention (OR 1.07; 95% CI 0.45, 2.53; P = 0.88). In civilian only studies, a random-effects model meta-analysis failed to show a statistically significant difference in the rate of neurologic improvement between surgical and non-operative intervention (OR 0.75; 95% CI 0.21, 2.72; P = 0.66). Meta-analysis further failed to show a statistically significant difference in the rate of neurologic improvement between patients with either complete (OR 4.13; 95% CI 0.55, 30.80; P = 0.17) or incomplete (OR 0.38; 95% CI 0.10, 1.52; P = 0.17) neurologic injuries who underwent surgical and non-operative intervention. There were no significant differences in the number of infections and other complications between patients who underwent surgical and non-operative intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

There were no statistically significant differences in the rate of neurologic improvement between those who underwent surgical or non-operative intervention. Further research is necessary to determine if surgical intervention for gunshot wounds to the lumbosacral spine, including in the case of retained bullet within the spinal canal, is efficacious.

Surgical and Nonsurgical Treatment of Penetrating Spinal Cord Injury: Analysis of Long-term Neurological and Functional Outcomes

Objective: To describe long-term neurological and functional outcomes for patients with penetrating spinal cord injury (PSCI) following surgical (SX) and nonsurgical (NSX) treatment. Methods: We identified all patients with PSCI in the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems database from 1994-2015. Patients with PSCI were divided into surgical (SX) and nonsurgical (NSX) groups. Outcomes were measured using the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) motor scores. Outcomes were then analyzed separately for patients with complete and incomplete PSCI during acute hospitalization, SCI rehabilitation, and 1-year follow-up. Results: For patients with complete PSCI, acute hospital length of stay (LOS) was increased in the SX group (19 days vs 14 days; p < .0001) while median FIM motor scores were similar at 1-year follow-up (74 vs 75; p = .4). The percentage of patients with complete PSCI remained similar between groups at discharge from SCI rehabilitation (88% vs 88%; p = 0.5). For patients with incomplete PSCIs, acute hospital LOS was similar between groups (13 vs 11; p = .3) and no difference was observed in ASIA Impairment Scale improvement at discharge from rehabilitation (38% vs 37%; p = .9) or in FIM scores at 1 year (84 vs 85; p = .6). Conclusion: Surgery for patients with complete PSCI is associated with increased acute hospital LOS for complete PSCI and is not associated with improvement in neurological or functional outcomes in patients with either complete or incomplete PSCI.

Penetrating spinal injury in childhood: the influence of mechanism on outcome. An epidemiological study

OBJECTIVE

Penetrating injury of the spine in childhood commonly causes profound and life-long disability, but it has been the object of very little study. The goal of the current report is to document temporal trends in the nationwide incidence of this condition and to highlight the differences between penetrating injuries and closed injuries.

METHODS

The Kids' Inpatient Database was queried for spinal injuries in 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2012. Penetrating mechanism was determined by diagnostic coding for open injuries and by mechanistic codes for projectiles and knives. Nationwide annual incidences were calculated using weights provided for this purpose. Unweighted data were used as a cross-sectional sample to compare closed and penetrating injuries with respect to demographic and clinical factors. The effect of penetrating mechanism was analyzed in statistical models of death, adverse discharge, and length of stay (LOS).

RESULTS

The nationwide incidence of penetrating spinal injury in patients less than 18 years of age trended downward over the study period. Patients with penetrating injury were older and much more predominantly male than patients with closed injuries. They resided predominantly in zip codes with lower median household incomes, and they were much more likely to have public health insurance or none at all. They were predominantly black or Hispanic. The risk of hospital death was no different, but penetrating injuries were associated with much higher rates of adverse discharge after LOS, averaging twice as long as closed injuries. Brain, visceral, and vascular injuries were powerful predictors of hospital death, as was upper cervical level of injury. The most powerful predictor of adverse discharge and LOS was spinal cord injury, followed by brain, visceral, and vascular injury and penetrating mechanism.

CONCLUSIONS

Because its pathophysiology requires no elucidation, because the consequences for quality of life are dire, and because the population at risk is well defined, penetrating spinal injury in childhood ought to be an attractive target for public health interventions.

Surgical management of penetrating spinal cord injury primarily due to shrapnel and its effect on neurological outcome: a literature review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study was performed to determine whether decompression of penetrating spinal cord injury (SCI) due to explosive shrapnel leads to greater neurological recovery than conservative management.

METHODS

In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a comprehensive literature search using PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and the Defense Technical Information Center public site was conducted on May 2, 2016. Studies that described penetrating SCI with shrapnel as an etiology, included surgical and/or conservative management, and demonstrated admission and follow-up neurological status were eligible for inclusion in this study. Odds ratios were calculated for the overall effect of surgical treatment on neurological recovery. Funnel plots were used to evaluate publication bias.

RESULTS

Five case series (Level IV evidence) met the study criteria, and 2 of them had estimable odds ratios for use in the Forest plot analysis. Among the patients from all 5 studies, 65% were injured by shrapnel, 25% by high-velocity bullet, 8% by low-velocity bullet, and 2% by an unknown cause. A total of 288 patients were included in the overall odds ratio calculations. Patients were stratified by complete and incomplete SCI. The meta-analysis showed no significant difference in outcomes between surgical and conservative management in the complete SCI cohort or the incomplete SCI cohort. Overall rates of improvement for complete SCI were 25% with surgery and 27% with conservative treatment (OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.44–2.61, p = 0.88); for incomplete SCI, 70% with surgery and 81% with conservative treatment (OR 1.67, 95% CI 0.68–4.05, p = 0.26).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates no clear benefit to surgical decompression of penetrating SCI due predominantly to shrapnel. There is a considerable need for nonrandomized prospective cohort studies examining decompression and stabilization surgery for secondary and tertiary blast injuries.

Providing surgery in a war-torn context: the Médecins Sans Frontières experience in Syria

BACKGROUND

Since 2011, civil war has crippled Syria leaving much of the population without access to healthcare. Various field hospitals have been clandestinely set up to provide basic healthcare but few have been able to provide quality surgical care. In 2012, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) began providing surgical care in the Jabal al-Akrad region of north-western Syria. Based on the MSF experience, we describe, for the period 5th September 2012 to 1st January 2014: a) the volume and profile of surgical cases, b) the volume and type of anaesthetic and surgical procedures performed, and c) the intraoperative mortality rate.

METHODS

A descriptive study using routinely collected MSF programme data. Quality surgical care was assured through strict adherence to the following minimum standards: adequate infrastructure, adequate water and sanitation provisions, availability of all essential disposables, drugs and equipment, strict adherence to hygiene requirements and universal precautions, mandatory use of sterile equipment for surgical and anaesthesia procedures, capability for blood transfusion and adequate human resources.

RESULTS

During the study period, MSF operated on 578 new patients, of whom 57 % were male and median age was 25 years (Interquartile range: 21-32 years). Violent trauma was the most common surgical indication (n-254, 44 %), followed by obstetric emergencies (n-191, 33 %) and accidental trauma (n-59, 10 %). In total, 712 anaesthetic procedures were performed. General anaesthesia without intubation was the most common type of anaesthesia (47 % of all anaesthetics) followed by spinal anaesthesia (25 %). A total of 831 surgical procedures were performed, just over half being minor/wound care procedures and nearly one fifth, caesarean sections. There were four intra-operative deaths, giving an intra-operative mortality rate of 0.7 %.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical needs in a conflict-afflicted setting like Syria are high and include both combat and non-combat indications, particularly obstetric emergencies. Provision of quality surgical care in a complex and volatile setting like this is possible providing appropriate measures, supported by highly experienced staff, can be implemented that allow a specific set of minimum standards of care to be adhered to. This is particularly important when patient outcomes - as a reflection of quality of care - are difficult to assess.

A systematic literature review of the quality of evidence for injury and rehabilitation interventions in humanitarian crises

INTRODUCTION

Humanitarian crises continue to pose a significant threat to health; the United Nations estimates that 144 million people are directly affected by conflict or environmental disasters. During most humanitarian crises, surgical and rehabilitative interventions remain a priority.

OBJECTIVES

This review assessed the quality of evidence that informs injury and physical rehabilitation interventions in humanitarian crises.

METHODS

Peer-reviewed and grey literature sources were assessed in a systematic manner. Selected papers were evaluated using quality criteria based on a modified version of the STROBE protocol.

RESULTS

46 papers met the inclusion criteria. 63 % of the papers referred to situations of armed conflict, of which the Yugoslav Wars were the most studied crisis context. 59 % of the studies were published since the year 2000. However, only two studies were considered of a high quality.

CONCLUSIONS

While there is now a greater emphasis on research in this sector, the volume of evidence remains inadequate given the growing number of humanitarian programmes worldwide. Further research is needed to ensure a greater breadth and depth of understanding of the most appropriate interventions in different settings.

Complications associated with military spine injuries

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

To assess the presence of complications associated with spine injuries in the Global War on Terror.

PURPOSE

To characterize the effect of complications in and around the battlefield during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2001 to 2009.

STUDY DESIGN/SETTING

Retrospective study.

PATIENT SAMPLE

American servicemembers sustaining spine injury during combat.

METHODS

Extracted medical records of warriors identified by the Joint Theater Trauma Registry from October 2001 to December 2009. Complications were defined as unplanned medical events that required further intervention. Complications were classified as major or minor and further subdivided among groups, including surgical and nonsurgical management, mounted (in an armored vehicle) or dismounted at the time of injury, and blunt or penetrating trauma.

RESULTS

Major complications were encountered in 55 servicemembers (9%), and 38 (6%) sustained minor complications. Forty-four percent (n=24) of those with major complications had more than one complication. Eleven servicemembers sustained three or more complications. There were five intraoperative complications, and 50 occurred in the perioperative period. Intraoperative complications included gastrointestinal injury, dural tear, and instrument malposition. Among patients who sustained complications, precipitating spinal injuries occurred primarily in combat (n=43 [78%]) and resulted from blunt (18) or penetrating (25) mechanisms. Complications occurred in 10 (3%) of those treated nonoperatively and 45 (25%) of those receiving surgery. Complications were higher in the dismounted group (80%) as compared with those who were mounted in vehicles at the time of injury (20%). Thirty-five percent (n=24) of surgically treated, dismounted, and penetrating injured servicemembers had complications. Seventeen percent (n=8) of surgically treated and blunt injured mounted servicemembers and 20% (n=13) of dismounted servicemembers had complications. Among the dismounted and nonspinal cord-injured servicemembers, both blunt (p=.002) and penetrating injured (p<.0005) treated with surgery were correlated with complications. Only the dismounted servicemembers with spinal cord injuries because of a penetrating mechanism were also at an increased risk for complications (p<.0005).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients treated with surgery appear to be at increased complication risk regardless of the mechanism of injury. Uparmored vehicles may safeguard servicemembers from spine injuries and complications associated with their treatment. This may be reflective of the fact that less severe spinal and concomitant injuries are sustained in the precipitating trauma because of the protection afforded by the vehicle. Dismounted soldiers had more complications in all groups regardless of type of management or injury mechanism.

Spinal injuries after improvised explosive device incidents: implications for Tactical Combat Casualty Care

BACKGROUND

Tactical Combat Casualty Care aims to treat preventable causes of death on the battlefield but deemphasizes the importance of spinal immobilization in the prehospital tactical setting. However, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) now cause the majority of injuries to Canadian Forces (CF) members serving in Afghanistan. We hypothesize that IEDs are more frequently associated with spinal injuries than non-IED injuries and that spinal precautions are not being routinely employed on the battlefield.

METHODS

We examined retrospectively a database of all CF soldiers who were wounded and arrived alive at the Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit in Kandahar, Afghanistan, from February 7, 2006, to October 14, 2009. We collected data on demographics, injury mechanism, anatomic injury descriptions, physiologic data on presentation, and prehospital interventions performed. Outcomes were incidence of any spinal injuries.

RESULTS

Three hundred seventy-two CF soldiers were injured during the study period and met study criteria. Twenty-nine (8%) had spinal fractures identified. Of these, 41% (n = 12) were unstable, 31% (n = 9) stable, and 28% indeterminate. Most patients were injured by IEDs (n = 212, 57%). Patients injured by IEDs were more likely to have spinal injuries than those injured by non-IED-related mechanisms (10.4% vs. 2.3%; p < 0.01). IED victims were even more likely to have spinal injuries than patients suffering blunt trauma (10.4% vs. 6.7%; p = 0.02). Prehospital providers were less likely to immobilize the spine in IED victims compared with blunt trauma patients (10% [22 of 212] vs. 23.0% [17 of 74]; p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

IEDs are a common cause of stable and unstable spinal injuries in the Afghanistan conflict. Spinal immobilization is an underutilized intervention in the battlefield care of casualties in the conflict in Afghanistan. This may be a result of tactical limitations; however, current protocols should continue to emphasize the judicious use of immobilization in these patients.

An unusual high-pressure injection injury involving the cervical spinal cord

High-pressure injection injuries occur infrequently but are usually work-related and involve the non-dominant hand. The neck is a very rare site for such an injury. We describe the management of a 36-year-old man with a high-pressure grease-gun injection injury to his neck causing a cervical spinal cord injury. He developed severe motor and sensory changes which were relieved by surgical removal of the grease through anterior and posterior approaches.

Neurological disorders in complex humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters

Complex humanitarian emergencies include the relatively acute, severe, and overwhelming health consequences of armed conflict, food scarcity, mass displacement, and political strife. Neurological manifestations of complex humanitarian emergencies are important and underappreciated consequences of emergencies in populations worldwide. This review critically assesses the existing knowledge of the range of neurological disorders that accompany complex humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters in both the acute phase of crisis and the "long shadow" that follows.

Can surgery improve neurological function in penetrating spinal injury? A review of the military and civilian literature and treatment recommendations for military neurosurgeons

Object

Penetrating spinal injury (PSI), although an infrequent injury in the civilian population, is not an infrequent injury in military conflicts. Throughout military history, the role of surgery in the treatment of PSI has been controversial. The US is currently involved in 2 military campaigns, the hallmark of both being the widespread use of various explosive devices. The authors reviewed the evidence for or against the use of decompressive laminectomy to treat PSI to provide a triservice (US Army, Navy, and Air Force) consensus and treatment recommendations for military neurosurgeons and spine surgeons.

Methods

A US National Library of Medicine PubMed database search that identified all literature dealing with acute management of PSI from military conflicts and civilian urban trauma centers in the post–Vietnam War period was undertaken.

Results

Nineteen retrospective case series (11 military and 8 civilian) met the study criteria. Eleven military articles covered a 20-year time span that included 782 patients who suffered either gunshot or blast-related projectile wounds. Four papers included sufficient data that analyzed the effectiveness of surgery compared with nonoperative management, 6 papers concluded that surgery was of no benefit, 2 papers indicated that surgery did have a role, and 3 papers made no comment. Eight civilian articles covered a 9-year time span that included 653 patients with spinal gunshot wounds. Two articles lacked any comparative data because of treatment bias. Two papers concluded that decompressive laminectomy had a beneficial role, 1 paper favored the removal of intracanal bullets between T-12 and L-4, and 5 papers indicated that surgery was of no benefit.

Conclusions

Based on the authors' military and civilian PubMed literature search, most of the evidence suggests that decompressive laminectomy does not improve neurological function in patients with PSI. However, there are serious methodological shortcomings in both literature groups. For this and other reasons, neurosurgeons from the US Air Force, Army, and Navy collectively believe that decompression should still be considered for any patient with an incomplete neurological injury and continued spinal canal compromise, ideally within 24–48 hours of injury; the patient should be stabilized concurrently if it is believed that the spinal injury is unstable. The authors recognize the highly controversial nature of this topic and hope that this literature review and the proposed treatment recommendations will be a valuable resource for deployed neurosurgeons. Ultimately, the deployed neurosurgeon must make the final treatment decision based on his or her opinion of the literature, individual abilities, and facility resources available.

Nonmissile penetrating spinal injury. Case report and review of the literature

Nonmissile penetrating spinal injuries (NMPSIs) are rare, even among the population of patients treated in large trauma centers. Patients who present with retained foreign body fragments due to stabbings represent an even smaller subset of NMPSI, and their optimal management is unclear. The authors report the case of a 42-year-old man who presented to the University of California at Davis Medical Center with a retained knife blade after suffering a stab wound to the lower thoracic spine. They discuss this case in the context of a literature review and propose management options for patients with NMPSIs in whom fragments are retained. A search of PubMed was undertaken for articles published between 1950 and 2006; the authors found 21 case reports and eight case series in the English-language literature but discovered no published guidelines on the management of cases of NMPSI with retained fragments. After clinicians undertake appropriate initial trauma evaluation and resuscitation, they should obtain plain x-ray films and computerized tomography scans to delineate the anatomical details of the retained foreign body in relation to the stab wound. Neurosurgical consultation should be undertaken in all patients with an NMPSI, whether or not foreign body fragments are present. Surgical removal of a retained foreign body is generally recommended in these patients because the fragments may lead to a worse neurological outcome. Perioperative antibiotic therapy may be beneficial, but the result depends on the nature of the penetrating agent. There is no documentation in the literature to support the use of steroid agents in patients with NMPSIs.

Gunshot wounds to the spine

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

The incidence of violent crimes has risen over the past decade. With it, gunshot injuries have become increasingly more common in the civilian population. Among the most devastating injuries are gunshot wounds to the spine.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this article is to provide a thorough review of the pathomechanics, diagnosis and treatment of gunshot wounds to the spine.

STUDY DESIGN/SETTING

Literature review article.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment of gunshot spine fractures differs from other mechanisms. Fractures are usually inherently stable and rarely require stabilization. In neurologically intact patients, there are few indications for surgery. Evidence of acute lead intoxication, an intracanal copper bullet or new onset neurologic deficit can justify operative decompression and/or bullet removal. Overzealous laminectomy can destabilize the spine and lead to late postoperative deformity. For complete and incomplete neural deficits at the cervical and thoracic levels, operative decompression is of little benefit and can lead to higher complication rates than nonsurgically managed patients. With gunshots to the T12 to L5 levels, better motor recovery has been reported after intracanal bullet removal versus nonoperative treatment. The use of steroids for gunshot paralysis has not improved the neurologic outcome and has resulted in a greater frequency of nonspinal complications. Although numerous recommendations exist, 7 to 14 days of broad-spectrum antibiosis has lead to the lowest rates of infection after transcolonic gunshots to the spine.

The military medical management of missile injury to the spine: a review of the literature and proposal of guidelines

The management of missile injury to the spinal cord is controversial. The literature is reviewed and recommendations made about the management of these injuries. To surgeons in a country that is relatively safe such injuries are rare, this review provides useful information about this condition.