Timing of Surgery in Spinal Cord Injury

Epidemiological age-based differences in traumatic spinal cord injury patients: A multicenter study based on 13,334 inpatients

CONTEXT

Compared with younger traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) patients, the elderly had longer delays in admission to surgery, higher proportion of incomplete injury, and longer hospital stays. However, in China, the country with the largest number of TSCI patients, there have been no large-scale reports on their age differences.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the age-based differences among TSCI inpatients, focusing on the demographic and clinical characteristics, treatment status, and economic burden.

METHODS

We collected the medical records of 13,334 inpatients with TSCI in the 30 hospitals of China, from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2018. Trends are expressed as annual percentage changes (APCs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

A total of 13,334 inpatients were included. Both the number and proportion of the elderly showed an increasing trend. The APC of the number and proportion in patients ≥85 years were 39.5% (95% CI, 14.3 to 70.3; P < 0.01) and 30.5% (95% CI, 8.6 to 56.9; P < 0.01), respectively. Younger patients were more likely to undergo decompression surgery, and older patients were more likely to receive high-dose methylprednisolone sodium succinate/methylprednisolone (MPSS/MP). Of the patients ≥85 years, none underwent decompression surgery within 8 h, and only 1.4% received a high dose of MPSS/MP within 8 h after injury. Elderly patients had lower hospitalization costs than younger. The total and daily medical costs during hospitalization of patients ≥85 years were 8.06 ± 18.80 (IQR: 5.79) and 0.61 ± 0.73 (IQR: 0.55) thousands dollars, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

As the first study to focus on age differences of TSCI patients in China, this study found many differences, in demographic and clinical characteristics, treatment status, and economic costs, between older and younger TSCI patients. The number and proportion of elderly patients increased, and the rate of early surgery for elderly patients is low.

Predictors of Intensive Care Unit Stay in Patients with Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Above T6

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with the intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS) of patients with an acute traumatic spinal cord injury above T6.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective, observational study of patients admitted to an ICU between 1998 and 2017 (n = 241). The LOS was calculated using a cumulative incidence function, with events of death being considered a competing event. Factors associated with the LOS were analyzed using both a cause-specific Cox proportional hazards regression model and a competing risk model. A multistate approach was also used to analyze the impact of nosocomial infections on the LOS.

RESULTS

A total of 211 patients (87.5%) were discharged alive from the ICU (median LOS = 23 days), and 30 (12.4%) died (median LOS = 11 days). In the multivariate analysis after adjusting for variables collected 4 days after the ICU admission, a higher American Spinal Injury Association motor score (subdistribution hazards ratio [sHR] = 1.01), neurological level C5-C8 (HR = 0,64), and lower Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (sHR = 0.82) and fluid balance (sHR = 0.95) on day 4 were linked to a lower LOS in this unit. In the multivariate analysis, the onset of an infection was significantly associated with a longer LOS when adjusting for variables collected both at ICU admission (adjusted sHR = 0.62; 95% confidence interval = 0.50-0.77) and on day 4 (adjusted hazards ratio = 0.65; 95% confidence interval = 0.52-0.80).

CONCLUSIONS

After adjusting the data for conventional variables, we identified a lower American Spinal Injury Association motor score, injury level C5-C8, a higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score on day 4, a more positive fluid balance on day 4, and the onset of an infection as factors independently associated with a longer ICU LOS.

The Time Sequence of Gene Expression Changes after Spinal Cord Injury

Gene expression changes following spinal cord injury (SCI) are time-dependent, and an accurate understanding of these changes can be crucial in determining time-based treatment options in a clinical setting. We performed RNA sequencing of the contused spinal cord of rats at five different time points from the very acute to chronic stages (1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months) following SCI. We identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and Gene Ontology (GO) terms at each time point, and 14,257 genes were commonly expressed at all time points. The biological process of the inflammatory response was increased at 1 hour and 1 day, and the cellular component of the integral component of the synaptic membrane was increased at 1 day. DEGs associated with cell activation and the innate immune response were highly enriched at 1 week and 1 month, respectively. A total of 2841 DEGs were differentially expressed at any of the five time points, and 18 genes (17 upregulated and 1 downregulated) showed common expression differences at all time points. We found that interleukin signaling, neutrophil degranulation, eukaryotic translation, collagen degradation, LGI–ADAM interactions, GABA receptor, and L1CAM-ankyrin interactions were prominent after SCI depending on the time post injury. We also performed gene–drug network analysis and found several potential antagonists and agonists which can be used to treat SCI. We expect to discover effective treatments in the clinical field through further studies revealing the efficacy and safety of potential drugs.

Order and timing of surgeries for thoracic trauma with multiple injuries: A case report

The timing and order of multiple surgeries for patients with multiple thoracic injuries have not been standardized. A 75-year-old man, who was injured because of a closing elevator door, underwent intubation, bilateral chest drain insertion, and massive blood transfusion due to shock and respiratory distress. Computed tomography showed hemopneumothorax with extravasation, tracheobronchial injury, aortic injury, thoracic vertebral anterior dislocation, and multiple rib fractures. He was hospitalized and underwent embolization on the day of admission. Next, veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) was conducted to address severe respiratory failure. The most crucial aspect of the management was treating the tracheobronchial injury because weaning the patient off the VV-ECMO depended on the success of the repair. Thus, the tracheobronchial repair was performed 7–10 days after injury. A right intrathoracic hematoma removal was performed on the third day and a thoracic endovascular aortic repair on the fifth day. The tracheobronchial repair was performed on the ninth day followed by the posterior thoracic fusion on the 18th day. The patient was successfully weaned off the VV-ECMO and mechanical ventilation on the 24th and 46th days, respectively. Early surgery is not always ideal when managing thoracic trauma cases involving multiple sites. Rather, the treatment should be individualized, and the essential surgical procedures should be timed appropriately.

Management of Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: A Review of the Literature

Traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) is a debilitating disease that poses significant functional and economic burden on both the individual and societal levels. Prognosis is dependent on the extent of the spinal injury and the severity of neurological dysfunction. If not treated rapidly, patients with TSCI can suffer further secondary damage and experience escalating disability and complications. It is important to quickly assess the patient to identify the location and severity of injury to make a decision to pursue a surgical and/or conservative management. However, there are many conditions that factor into the management of TSCI patients, ranging from the initial presentation of the patient to long-term care for optimal recovery. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the etiologies of spinal cord injury and the complications that may arise, and present an algorithm to aid in the management of TSCI.

Emergency surgery for traumatic spinal cord injury in a secondary hospital: A case report

Background:

Cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) is a life-threatening condition. Prompt surgical intervention is needed to avoid hemodynamic and respiratory catastrophe. In Indonesia, however, spine surgery is more common in tertiary hospitals and thus might prolong the time gap to surgery due to referral waiting time.

Case Description:

We performed an emergency surgery for a patient with complete SCI due to unstable cervical fracture. The patient was in spinal shock and experienced respiratory arrest after radiological workup. Stability was achieved in the ICU and patient was directly sent to operating theater. Anterior-posterior approach was chosen to decompress and stabilize the cervical spine. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 17 and was seen well at 1-month follow-up.

Conclusion:

The capability to perform spine procedures should not be exclusive to tertiary hospitals in Indonesia. Satisfying results can be achieved with the presence of capable neurosurgeons or orthopedic surgeons and anesthesiologists in lower-level hospitals.

The Reality of Accomplishing Surgery Within 24 hours for Complete Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: Clinical Practices and Safety

Substantial clinical data supports an association between superior neurological outcomes and early (within 24 hours) surgical decompression for those with traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). Despite this, much discussion persists around feasibility and safety of this time threshold, particularly for those with a complete cervical SCI. This study aims to assess clinical practices and the safety profile of early surgery across a large sample of North American trauma centers. Data was derived from the Trauma Quality Improvement Program database from 2010-2016. Adult patients with a complete cervical SCI (ASIA A) who underwent surgery were included. Patients were stratified into those receiving surgery at or before 24 hours and those receiving delayed intervention. Risk-adjusted variability in surgical timing across trauma centers was investigated using mixed-effects regression. In-hospital adverse events including mortality, major complications, and immobility-related complications were compared between groups after propensity score matching. 2,862 patients from 353 North American trauma centers were included. 1,760 (61.5%) underwent surgery within 24 hours. Case-mix and hospital-level characteristics explained only 6% of the variability in surgical timing both between-centers and within-centers. No significant differences in adverse events were identified between groups. These findings suggest a relatively large proportion of patients are not receiving surgery within the recommended timeframe, despite apparent safety. Moreover, patient and hospital-level characteristics explain little of the variability in time-to-surgery. Further knowledge translation is needed to increase the proportion of patients in whom surgery is performed before the 24-hour threshold so patients might reach their greatest potential for neurologic recovery.

Variability in time to surgery for patients with acute thoracolumbar spinal cord injuries

There are limited data pertaining to current practices in timing of surgical decompression for acute thoracolumbar spinal cord injury (SCI). We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate variability in timing between- and within-trauma centers in North America; and to identify patient- and hospital-level factors associated with treatment delay. Adults with acute thoracolumbar SCI who underwent decompressive surgery within five days of injury at participating trauma centers in the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program were included. Mixed-effects regression with a random intercept for trauma center was used to model the outcome of time to surgical decompression and assess risk-adjusted variability in surgery timeliness across centers. 3,948 patients admitted to 214 TQIP centers were eligible. 28 centers were outliers, with a significantly shorter or longer time to surgery than average. Case-mix and hospital characteristics explained < 1% of between-hospital variability in surgical timing. Moreover, only 7% of surgical timing variability within-centers was explained by case-mix characteristics. The adjusted intraclass correlation coefficient of 12% suggested poor correlation of surgical timing for patients with similar characteristics treated at the same center. These findings support the need for further research into the optimal timing of surgical intervention for thoracolumbar SCI.

Regenerative replacement of neural cells for treatment of spinal cord injury

Introduction: Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) results from primary physical injury to the spinal cord, which initiates a secondary cascade of neural cell death. Current therapeutic approaches can attenuate the consequences of the primary and secondary events, but do not address the degenerative aspects of SCI. Transplantation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NPCs) for the replacement of the lost/damaged neural cells is suggested here as a regenerative approach that is complementary to current therapeutics.Areas Covered: This review addresses how neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes are impacted by traumatic SCI, and how current research in regenerative-NPC therapeutics aims to restore their functionality. Methods used to enhance graft survival, as well as bias progenitor cells towards neuronal, oligodendrogenic, and astroglia lineages are discussed.Expert Opinion: Despite an NPC's ability to differentiate into neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes in the transplant environment, their potential therapeutic efficacy requires further optimization prior to translation into the clinic. Considering the temporospatial identity of NPCs could promote neural repair in region specific injuries throughout the spinal cord. Moreover, understanding which cells are targeted by NPC-derived myelinating cells can help restore physiologically-relevant myelin patterns. Finally, the duality of astrocytes is discussed, outlining their context-dependent importance in the treatment of SCI.

Clinical guidelines for neurorestorative therapies in spinal cord injury (2021 China version)

Treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI) remains challenging. Considering the rapid developments in neurorestorative therapies for SCI, we have revised and updated the Clinical Therapeutic Guidelines for Neurorestoration in Spinal Cord Injury (2016 Chinese version) of the Chinese Association of Neurorestoratology (Preparatory) and China Committee of International Association of Neurorestoratology. Treatment of SCI is a systematic multimodal process that aims to improve survival and restore neurological function. These guidelines cover real-world comprehensive neurorestorative management of acute, subacute, and chronic SCI and include assessment and diagnosis, pre-hospital first aid, treatment, rehabilitation, and complication management.

Regionalization of Spine Trauma Care in an Urban Trauma System in the United States: Decreased Time to Surgery and Hospital Length of Stay

BACKGROUND

The effect of regionalized trauma care (RT) on hospital-based outcomes for traumatic spine injury (TSI) in the United States is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To test the hypothesis that RT would be associated with earlier time to surgery and decreased length of stay (LOS).

METHODS

TSI patients >14 yr were identified using International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision Clinical Modification diagnostic codes. Data from 2008 through 2012 were analyzed before and after RT in 2010.

RESULTS

A total of 4072 patients were identified; 1904 (47%) pre-RT and 2168 (53%) post-RT. Injury severity scores, Spine Abbreviated Injury Scale scores, and the percentage of TSIs with spinal cord injury (tSCI) were similar between time periods. Post-RT TSIs demonstrated a lower median intensive care unit (ICU) LOS (0 vs 1 d; P < 0.0001), underwent spine surgery more frequently (13% vs 11%; P = 0.01), and had a higher rate of spine surgery performed within 24 h of admission (65% vs 55%; P = 0.02). In patients with tSCI post-RT, ICU LOS was decreased (1 vs 2 d; P < 0.0001) and ventilator days were reduced (average days: 2 vs 3; P = 0.006). The post-RT time period was an independent predictor for spine surgery performed in less than 24 h for all TSIs (odds ratio [OR] 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04-2.22, C-stat = 0.65). Multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated an independent effect on reduced ICU LOS post-RT for TSIs (OR -1.68; 95% CI: -2.98 to 0.39; R2 = 0.74) and tSCIs (OR -2.42, 95% CI: -3.99-0.85; R2 = 0.72).

CONCLUSION

RT is associated with increased surgical rates, earlier time to surgery, and decreased ICU LOS for patients with TSI.

Targeted Perfusion Therapy in Spinal Cord Trauma

We review state-of-the-art monitoring techniques for acute, severe traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) to facilitate targeted perfusion of the injured cord rather than applying universal mean arterial pressure targets. Key concepts are discussed such as intraspinal pressure and spinal cord perfusion pressure (SCPP) at the injury site, respectively, analogous to intracranial pressure and cerebral perfusion pressure for traumatic brain injury. The concept of spinal cord autoregulation is introduced and quantified using spinal pressure reactivity index (sPRx), which is analogous to pressure reactivity index for traumatic brain injury. The U-shaped relationship between sPRx and SCPP defines the optimum SCPP as the SCPP that minimizes sPRx (i.e., maximizes autoregulation), and suggests that not only ischemia but also hyperemia at the injury site may be detrimental. The observation that optimum SCPP varies between patients and temporally in each patient supports individualized management. We discuss multimodality monitoring, which revealed strong correlations between SCPP and injury site metabolism (tissue glucose, lactate, pyruvate, glutamate, glycerol), monitored by surface microdialysis. Evidence is presented that the dura is a major, but unappreciated, cause of spinal cord compression after TSCI; we thus propose expansion duroplasty as a novel treatment. Monitoring spinal cord blood flow at the injury site has revealed novel phenomena, e.g., 3 distinct blood flow patterns, local steal, and diastolic ischemia. We conclude that monitoring from the injured spinal cord in the intensive care unit is a safe technique that appears to enable optimized and individualized spinal cord perfusion.

Early versus late surgery after cervical spinal cord injury: a Japanese nationwide trauma database study

BACKGROUND

The management of cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) has changed drastically in the last decades, and surgery is the primary treatment. However, the optimum timing of early surgical treatment (within 24 h or 72 h after injury) is still controversial. We sought to determine the optimum timing of surgery for cervical SCI, comparing the length of the intensive care unit (ICU) stay and in-hospital mortality in patients who underwent surgical treatments (decompression and stabilization) for cervical SCI within 24 h after injury and within 7 days after injury.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study using Japan Trauma Data Bank (JTDB) which is a nationwide, multicenter database. We selected adult isolated cervical SCI patients who underwent operative management within 7 days after injury, between 2004 and 2015. The main outcome measures were the length of ICU stay and in-hospital mortality. We grouped the patients into two, based on the time from onset of injury to surgery, an early group (within 24 h) and a late group (from 25 h to 7 days). Next, we performed multivariable analyses for analyzing the relevance between the timing of surgery and the length of ICU stay after adjusting for baseline characteristics using propensity score. We also performed the Cox survival analyses to evaluate in-hospital mortality.

RESULTS

From 236,698 trauma patients registered in JTDB, we analyzed 514 patients. The early group comprised 291 patients (56.6%), and the late group comprised 223 (43.4%). The length of ICU stay did not differ between the two groups (early, 10 days; late, 11 days; p = 0.29). There was no significant difference for length of ICU stay between the early and late group even after adjustment by multivariate analysis (p = 0.64). There was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality between the two groups (the early group 3.8%, the late group 2.2%, p = 0.32), and no significant difference was found in the Cox survival analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed that neither the length of ICU stay nor in-hospital mortality after spinal column stabilization or spinal cord decompression for cervical SCI significantly differed according to the timing of surgery between 24 h and 7 days.

Extent of Spinal Cord Decompression in Motor Complete (American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale Grades A and B) Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Patients: Post-Operative Magnetic Resonance Imaging Analysis of Standard Operative Approaches

Although decompressive surgery following traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) is recommended, adequate surgical decompression is rarely verified via imaging. We utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to analyze the rate of spinal cord decompression after surgery. Pre-operative (within 8 h of injury) and post-operative (within 48 h of injury) MRI images of 184 motor complete patients (American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale [AIS] grade A = 119, AIS grade B = 65) were reviewed to verify spinal cord decompression. Decompression was defined as the presence of a patent subarachnoid space around a swollen spinal cord. Of the 184 patients, 100 (54.3%) underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), and 53 of them also underwent laminectomy. Of the 184 patients, 55 (29.9%) underwent anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF), with (26 patients) or without (29 patients) laminectomy. Twenty-nine patients (16%) underwent stand-alone laminectomy. Decompression was verified in 121 patients (66%). The rates of decompression in patients who underwent ACDF and ACCF without laminectomy were 46.8% and 58.6%, respectively. Among these patients, performing a laminectomy increased the rate of decompression (72% and 73.1% of patients, respectively). Twenty-five of 29 (86.2%) patients who underwent a stand-alone laminectomy were found to be successfully decompressed. The rates of decompression among patients who underwent laminectomy at one, two, three, four, or five levels were 58.3%, 68%, 78%, 80%, and 100%, respectively (p < 0.001). In multi-variate logistic regression analysis, only laminectomy was significantly associated with successful decompression (odds ratio 4.85; 95% confidence interval 2.2-10.6; p < 0.001). In motor complete TSCI patients, performing a laminectomy significantly increased the rate of successful spinal cord decompression, independent of whether anterior surgery was performed.

The Importance of Early Surgical Decompression for Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Background

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a tragic event that has a major impact on individuals and society as well as the healthcare system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the strength of association between surgical treatment timing and neurological improvement.

Methods

Fifty-six patients with neurological impairment due to traumatic SCI were included in this study. From January 2013 to June 2017, all their medical records were reviewed. Initially, to identify the factors affecting the recovery of neurological deficit after an acute SCI, we performed univariate logistic regression analyses for various variables. Then, we performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis for variables that showed a p-value of < 0.2 in the univariate analyses. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test was used to determine the goodness of fit for the multivariate logistic regression model.

Results

In the univariate analysis on the strength of associations between various factors and neurological improvement, the following factors had a p-value of < 0.2: surgical timing (early, < 8 hours; late, 8–24 hours; p = 0.033), completeness of SCI (complete/incomplete; p = 0.033), and smoking (p = 0.095). In the multivariate analysis, only two variables were significant: surgical timing (odds ratio [OR], 0.128; p = 0.004) and completeness of SCI (OR, 9.611; p = 0.009).

Conclusions

Early surgical decompression within 8 hours after traumatic SCI appeared to improve neurological recovery. Furthermore, incomplete SCI was more closely related to favorable neurological improvement than complete SCI. Therefore, we recommend early decompression as an effective treatment for traumatic SCI.

Update on critical care for acute spinal cord injury in the setting of polytrauma

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) often occurs in patients with concurrent traumatic injuries in other body systems. These patients with polytrauma pose unique challenges to clinicians. The current review evaluates existing guidelines and updates the evidence for prehospital transport, immobilization, initial resuscitation, critical care, hemodynamic stability, diagnostic imaging, surgical techniques, and timing appropriate for the patient with SCI who has multisystem trauma. Initial management should be systematic, with focus on spinal immobilization, timely transport, and optimizing perfusion to the spinal cord. There is general evidence for the maintenance of mean arterial pressure of > 85 mm Hg during immediate and acute care to optimize neurological outcome; however, the selection of vasopressor type and duration should be judicious, with considerations for level of injury and risks of increased cardiogenic complications in the elderly. Level II recommendations exist for early decompression, and additional time points of neurological assessment within the first 24 hours and during acute care are warranted to determine the temporality of benefits attributable to early surgery. Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis using low-molecular-weight heparin is recommended by current guidelines for SCI. For these patients, titration of tidal volumes is important to balance the association of earlier weaning off the ventilator, with its risk of atelectasis, against the risk for lung damage from mechanical overinflation that can occur with prolonged ventilation. Careful evaluation of infection risk is a priority following multisystem trauma for patients with relative immunosuppression or compromise. Although patients with polytrauma may experience longer rehabilitation courses, long-term neurological recovery is generally comparable to that in patients with isolated SCI after controlling for demographics. Bowel and bladder disorders are common following SCI, significantly reduce quality of life, and constitute a focus of targeted therapies. Emerging biomarkers including glial fibrillary acidic protein, S100β, and microRNAs for traumatic SCIs are presented. Systematic management approaches to minimize sources of secondary injury are discussed, and areas requiring further research, implementation, and validation are identified.

The natural history of complete spinal cord injury: a pooled analysis of 1162 patients and a meta-analysis of modern data

OBJECTIVE

The natural history of complete spinal cord injury (SCI) is poorly studied. The classically quoted rate of improvement or conversion for patients with American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grade A (ASIA A) injuries is 15%–20%; however, data supporting this rate are very limited. In this paper, the authors conducted a meta-analysis of modern data reporting on ASIA A patients and evaluated factors affecting the natural history of the disease.

METHODS

The authors conducted a systematic literature review of all randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and observational studies of patients with traumatic SCI. The Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases were reviewed for all studies reporting on SCI and published after 1992. A meta-analysis was conducted using the DerSimonian and Laird (random-effects) model with a summary odds ratio analysis.

RESULTS

Eleven RCTs and 9 observational studies were included in the final analysis. Overall, the 20 included studies reported on 1162 patients with ASIA A injuries. The overall conversion rate was 28.1%, with 327 of 1162 patients improving to at least ASIA B. The overall rate of conversion noted in cervical spine injuries was 33.3%, whereas that in thoracic injuries was 30.6%. Patients undergoing early surgery had a higher rate of conversion (46.1%) than patients undergoing late surgery (25%) (OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.08–4.96, p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

The overall rate of conversion of ASIA A SCIs from pooled data of prospective trials and observational series is 28.1%. This rate of conversion is higher than what is reported in the literature. Early surgery is predictive of a higher conversion rate. However, there are not enough data to provide conclusions pertaining to the efficacy of biological and medical therapies.

Early surgical decompression within 8 hours for traumatic spinal cord injury: Is it beneficial? A meta-analysis

Introduction

The aim of this study is to evaluate whether early (<8 h) surgical decompression is better in improving neurologic outcomes than late (≥8 h) surgical decompression for traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI).

Methods

The various electronic databases were used to detect relevant articles published up until May 2016 that compared the outcomes of early versus late surgery for tSCI. Data searching, extraction, analysis, and quality assessment were performed according to Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. The results are presented as relative ratio (RR) for binary outcomes and mean difference (MD) for continuous outcomes with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

Seven studies were finally included in this meta-analysis. There were significant differences between the 2 groups in neurologic improvement (MD = 0.54, 95% CI = −18.52 to −7.02, P < 0.0001) and length of hospital stay (MD = −12.77, 95% CI = 0.34–0.74, P < 0.00001). However, no significant differences were found between the 2 groups in perioperative complications (OR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.35–2.61, P = 0.92).

Conclusions

Early surgical decompression within 8 h after tSCI was beneficial in terms of neurologic improvement compared with late surgery. Early surgical decompression (within 8 h) is recommended for patients with tSCI.

Level of evidence

Level III, therapeutic study.

The use of classification tree analysis to assess the influence of surgical timing on neurological recovery following severe cervical traumatic spinal cord injury

STUDY DESIGN

Post hoc analysis of prospectively collected data.

OBJECTIVES

Assess the influence of surgical timing on neurological recovery using classification tree analysis in patients sustaining cervical traumatic spinal cord injury.

SETTING

Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montreal METHODS: 42 patients sustaining cervical SCI were followed for at least 6 months post injury. Neurological status was assessed from the American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale (AIS) and neurological level of injury (NLI) at admission and at follow-up. Age, surgical timing, AIS grade at admission and energy of injury were the four input parameters. Neurological recovery was quantified by the occurrence of improvement by at least one AIS grade, at least 2 AIS grades and at least 2 NLI.

RESULTS

Proportion of patients that improved at least one ASIA grade was higher in the group that received early surgery (75 vs. 41 %). The proportion of patients that improved two AIS grades was also higher in the group that received early surgery (67 vs. 38 %). Finally, 30 % of the patients that received early decompression improved two NLI as compared with 0% in the other group. Early surgery was also associated with a non-statistically significant improvement in functional recovery.

CONCLUSIONS

Neurological recovery of patients sustaining cervical traumatic spinal cord injury can be improved by early decompression surgery performed within 19 h post trauma.

SPONSORSHIP

U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command, Rick Hansen Institute.

Myelotomy promotes locomotor recovery in rats subjected to spinal cord injury: A meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the effects of myelotomy on locomotor recovery in rats subjected to spinal cord injury.

DATA SOURCES:

Electronic databases including PubMed, Science Citation Index, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Journals Full-text Database, China Biology Medicine disc, and Wanfang Database were searched to retrieve related studies published before September 2017. The MeSH terms (the Medical Subject Headings) such as “myelotomy”, “spinal cord injuries”, “rats”, “randomized controlled trial” and all related entry terms were searched.

DATA SELECTION:

Randomized controlled trials using myelotomy for the treatment of acute spinal cord injury in rats were included. Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan scores were adopted as the evaluation method. RevMan Software (version 5.3) was used for data processing. The χ² and I² tests were used to assess heterogeneity. Using a random-effects model, a subgroup analysis was conducted to analyze the source of the heterogeneity.

OUTCOME MEASURES:

Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan scores were observed 1–6 weeks after spinal cord injury.

RESULTS:

Six animal trials were included, using a total of 143 lab rats. The included trials were divided into two subgroups by injury degrees (moderate or severe). The pooled results showed that, 1–6 weeks after spinal cord injury, the overall Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan score was significantly higher in the myelotomy group than in the contusion group (weighted mean difference (WMD) = 0.60; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.23–0.97; P = 0.001; WMD = 2.10; 95% CI: 1.56–2.64; P < 0.001; WMD = 2.65; 95% CI: 1.73–3.57; P < 0.001; WMD = 1.66; 95% CI: 0.80–2.52; P < 0.001; WMD = 2.09; 95% CI: 0.92–3.26, P < 0.001; WMD = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.06–3.44, P < 0.001). The overall heterogeneity was high (I² = 85%; I² = 95%; I² = 94%; I² = 88%; I² = 91%; I² = 89%). The results in the moderate injury subgroup showed that Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan scores were significantly higher in the myelotomy group than in the contusion group (WMD = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.52–1.3, P < 0.001; WMD = 2.10; 95% CI: 1.56–2.64, P < 0.001; WMD = 2.65; 95% CI: 1.73–3.57, P < 0.001; WMD = 2.50, 95% CI: 1.72–3.28, P < 0.001; WMD = 3.29, 95% CI: 2.21–4.38, P < 0.001; WMD = 3.27; 95% CI: 2.31–4.23, P < 0.001). The relevant heterogeneity was low. However, there were no significant differences in Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan scores between the myelotomy and contusion groups in the severe injury subgroup at 2 and 3 weeks after the injury (P = 0.75; P = 0.92).

CONCLUSION:

To date, this is the first attempt to summarize the potential effect of myelotomy on locomotor recovery in rats with spinal cord injury. Our findings conclude that myelotomy promotes locomotor recovery in rats with spinal cord injury, especially in those with moderate injury.

Traumatic and Nontraumatic Spinal Cord Injuries

OBJECTIVE

Owing to the aging of the population in the United States, it is anticipated that injury mechanisms, treatment, and outcomes of spinal cord injuries (SCI) will change. There is a scarcity of literature on nontraumatic SCI. Our goal in this study was to evaluate the causes, management, complications, and outcomes after SCI.

METHODS

In a retrospective review, patients with traumatic and nontraumatic SCI admitted to the inpatient rehabilitation unit at a level 1 trauma center from 2003 to 2013 were reviewed.

RESULTS

In all, 757 entries were identified, and 685 unique patients met our inclusion criteria; 17.4% were <35 years of age, 51.7% were 35 to 64 years of age, and 30.9% were at least 65 years old. The young adults had the highest proportion of fractures (60.5%) and subluxations (21.8%), whereas the oldest group had the highest rates of stenosis (35.4%), spondylotic myelopathy (16.5%), and cancer (15.1%). In SCI patients <35 years of age, 66.6% of injuries were caused by traumatic mechanisms of injury compared with 30.2% in the geriatric cohort. In the total of all SCI, 61.6% were nontraumatic. Surgical management was more prevalent with increasing age (58.8%, 73.7%, 82.1% from youngest to oldest group), as were overall rates of complications (58.6%, 59.4%, 66.7%). Mortality rates significantly increased with age (2.5%, 18.9%, 40.6% overall mortality rates in the 3 age groups). The overall mortality rate in nontraumatic SCI patients was 27.7% compared with 14.8% in traumatic SCI patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Falls caused significantly more SCIs than expected, but most SCIs were predominantly nontraumatic in cause. The epidemiology of SCI is shifting rapidly.

Update on traumatic acute spinal cord injury. Part 2

The aim of treatment in acute traumatic spinal cord injury is to preserve residual neurologic function, avoid secondary injury, and restore spinal alignment and stability. In this second part of the review, we describe the management of spinal cord injury focusing on issues related to short-term respiratory management, where the preservation of diaphragmatic function is a priority, with prediction of the duration of mechanical ventilation and the need for tracheostomy. Surgical assessment of spinal injuries based on updated criteria is discussed, taking into account that although the type of intervention depends on the surgical team, nowadays treatment should afford early spinal decompression and stabilization. Within a comprehensive strategy in spinal cord injury, it is essential to identify and properly treat patient anxiety and pain associated to spinal cord injury, as well as to prevent and ensure the early diagnosis of complications secondary to spinal cord injury (thromboembolic disease, gastrointestinal and urinary disorders, pressure ulcers).