Current developments in spinal cord injury research.

Background Context: Recent advances in neuroscience have opened the door for hope toward prevention and cure of the devastating effects of spinal cord injury (SCI).

Purpose: To highlight the current understanding of traumatic SCI mechanisms, provide information regarding state-of-the-art care for the acute spinal cord-injured patient, and explore future treatments aimed at neural preservation and reconstruction.

Study Design/setting: A selective overview of the literature pertaining to the neuropathophysiology of traumatic SCI is provided with an emphasis on pharmacotherapies and posttraumatic experimental strategies aimed at improved neuropreservation and late neuroregenerative repair.

Cerebral spinal fluid pressure: effects of body position and lumbar subarachnoid drainage in a canine model.

Study Design: This study used in vivo an model of subarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid pressure measurement.

Objectives: To examine the relation between subarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid pressure in the cervical and lumbar spine and varying body positions, and to test the hypothesis that increasing body inclination and lumbar subarachnoid drainage decreases cervical cerebrospinal fluid pressures.

Summary Of Background Data: Cerebrospinal fluid leaks are a recognized complication of anterior or posterior cervical surgery.

Sustained spinal cord compression: part II: effect of methylprednisolone on regional blood flow and recovery of somatosensory evoked potentials.

Background: The efficacy of methylprednisolone in the treatment of traumatic spinal cord injury is controversial. We examined the effect of methylprednisolone on regional spinal cord blood flow and attempted to determine whether recovery of electrophysiological function is dependent on reperfusion, either during sustained spinal cord compression or after decompression.

Methods: The effects of methylprednisolone therapy on recovery of somatosensory evoked potentials and on spinal cord blood flow were examined in a canine model of dynamic spinal cord compression.

Sustained spinal cord compression: part I: time-dependent effect on long-term pathophysiology.

Background: The objective of this study is to determine whether there is a relationship between the duration of sustained spinal cord compression and the extent of spinal cord injury and the capacity for functional recovery after decompression.

Methods: Sixteen dogs underwent sustained spinal cord compression for thirty or 180 minutes. The cords were compressed with use of a loading device with a hydraulic piston.

Perfusion-limited recovery of evoked potential function after spinal cord injury.

Study Design: The current study was designed to determine whether progressive spinal cord damage during residual compression is caused by low blood flow and ischemia.

Objectives: The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effects of sustained spinal cord compression on regional blood flow and evoked potential recovery after time-dependent decompression.

Summary Of Background Data: Spinal cord injury after trauma is commonly associated with residual cord compression.