Stable closure of acute and chronic wounds and pressure ulcers and control of draining fistulas from osteomyelitis in persons with spinal cord injuries: non-interventional study of MPPT passive immunotherapy delivered via telemedicine in community care.

Background: Micropore particle technology (MPPT) is a topical wound treatment. It is a passive immunotherapy, acting via the skin and wound microbiome without the use of antimicrobial action. In a general patient population, it removed wound infections 60% and initiated tissue regeneration 50% quicker than antibiotics and antiseptics.

Duroplasty for injured cervical spinal cord with uncontrolled swelling: protocol of the DISCUS randomized controlled trial.

Background: Cervical traumatic spinal cord injury is a devastating condition. Current management (bony decompression) may be inadequate as after acute severe TSCI, the swollen spinal cord may become compressed against the surrounding tough membrane, the dura. DISCUS will test the hypothesis that, after acute, severe traumatic cervical spinal cord injury, the addition of dural decompression to bony decompression improves muscle strength in the limbs at 6 months, compared with bony decompression alone.

Neurological recovery after early versus delayed surgical decompression for acute traumatic spinal cord injury.

The aim of this study was to determine whether early surgical treatment results in better neurological recovery 12 months after injury than late surgical treatment in patients with acute traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI). Patients with tSCI requiring surgical spinal decompression presenting to 17 centres in Europe were recruited. Depending on the timing of decompression, patients were divided into early (≤ 12 hours after injury) and late (> 12 hours and < 14 days after injury) groups.

Pelvic MRI in spinal cord injury patients: incidence of muscle signal change and early heterotopic ossification.

Study Design: Prospective observational study.

Objective: To evaluate pelvic MRI muscle signal changes and their association with early heterotopic ossification (HO) in patients with spinal cord injuries.

Setting: National Spinal Injuries Unit, Stoke Mandeville, UK.

Immunotherapy to reduce frequency of urinary tract infections in people with neurogenic bladder dysfunction; a pilot randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Objective: To establish the feasibility of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial to investigate the effect of a specific immunotherapy bacterial lysate OM-89 (Uro-Vaxom) in reducing the frequency of urinary tract infections in people with neurogenic bladder dysfunction.

Design: A parallel-group, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Setting: Patients at home, recruited through out-patient contact, social media and patient support groups.

Predictive equations over estimating resting metabolic rate in individual with spinal cord injury requiring mechanical ventilation support - A case series.

The impact of mechanical ventilation on energy expenditure after spinal cord injury (SCI) is sparse. The objective of this case-series is to measure 15-minutes resting metabolic rate (RMR) to determine 24-hours measured-RMR (m-RMR) using QUARK indirect calorimeter (IC) and; compare the m-RMR with estimated RMR (e-RMR) using four commonly used predictive equations (Harris-Benedict, Mifflin St-Jeor, Henry and Schofield). We measured the RMR of four patients with SCI (one male and three female; mean age: 58.

Rapid incremental closed traction reduction of cervical facet fracture dislocation: the Stoke Mandeville experience.

Study Design: Retrospective case series study.

Objective: To determine the success rate and neurological outcomes of rapid incremental closed traction reduction (RICTR) of cervical dislocations with spinal cord compression in the National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC), between June 2006 and December 2011.

Setting: Tertiary spinal injuries centre, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, UK.

Cervicothoracic arachnoiditis-a rare complication of aneurysmal intracranial subarachnoid haemorrhage.

Introduction: Subarachnoid haemorrhage is a catastrophic condition which has significant morbidity and mortality, with mortality rate ranging between 8-67% and is associated with significant morbidity among the survivors. Arachnoiditis of the spinal cord is a very rare complication which can occur months to years after the subarachnoid haemorrhage.

Case Presentation: We report a case of cervicothoracic arachnoiditis following the subarachnoid haemorrhage secondary to posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysm with posterior fossa AVM (arterio-venous malformation) causing dense paraplegia.

Thromboembolism in the Sub-Acute Phase of Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

To review the evidence of thromboembolism incidence and prophylaxis in the sub-acute phase of spinal cord injury (SCI) 3-6 months post injury. All observational and experimental studies with any length of follow-up and no limitations on language or publication status published up to March 2015 were included. Two review authors independently selected trials for inclusion and extracted data.

International Retrospective Comparison of Inpatient Rehabilitation for Patients With Spinal Cord Dysfunction: Differences According to Etiology.

Objectives: To describe and compare epidemiologic characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with nontraumatic spinal cord dysfunction according to etiology.

Design: Retrospective, multicenter open-cohort case series.

Setting: Spinal rehabilitation units (SRUs) in 9 countries.

International retrospective comparison of inpatient rehabilitation for patients with spinal cord dysfunction epidemiology and clinical outcomes.

Objective: To describe and compare epidemiologic characteristics of patients with spinal cord dysfunction admitted to spinal rehabilitation units (SRUs) in 9 countries (Australia, Canada, Italy, India, Ireland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States).

Design: Retrospective multicenter open-cohort case series.

Setting: SRUs.

Review: indications for interventional radiology in the management of patients with spinal cord injuries.

Objectives: To outline a range of minimally invasive image-guided procedures that benefit spinal cord-injured patients and may expedite clinical care.

Study Design: Pictorial review.

Results/conclusions: Image-guided procedures have made a significant impact in medical management in many specialties.