Characteristics and surgical management of neuropathic (Charcot) spinal arthropathy after spinal cord injury

Background contextNeuropathic (Charcot) spinal arthropathy (CSA) is a rare but progressive and severe degenerative disease that develops in the absence of deep sensation, for example, after spinal cord injury. The diagnosis of CSA is often delayed as a result of the late onset or slow progression of the disease and the nonspecific nature of the reported clinical signs. Considering risk factors of CSA in combination with the common clinical signs may facilitate timely diagnosis and prevent severe presentation of the disease. However, there is a lack of data concerning the early signs and risk factors of CSA. Furthermore, the complications and outcomes after surgical treatment are documented insufficiently.PurposeTo investigate the early signs and risk factors of CSA after spinal cord injury, as well as the complications and outcome after surgical treatment.Study designRetrospective case series from a single center.Patient sampleTwenty-eight patients with 39 Charcot joints of the spine.Outcome measuresClinical signs, radiological signs, risk factors, and complications.MethodsThe case histories and radiological images of patients suffering from CSA were investigated.ResultsThe first clinical symptoms included spinal deformity, sitting imbalance, and localized back pain. Long-segment stabilization, laminectomy, scoliosis, and excessive loading of the spine were identified as risk factors for the development of the disease. Postoperative complications included implant loosening, wound healing disturbance, and development of additional Charcot joints. All patients were able to return to their previous levels of activities.ConclusionsRadiological follow-up of the entire thoracic and lumbar spine should be performed in paraplegic patients. Risk factors in combination with typical symptoms should be considered to facilitate early detection. Functional restoration can be achieved with appropriate surgical techniques.     

Spasticity after spinal cord injury

Symptoms of spasticity are often experienced by individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) following a period of spinal shock and, in many cases, these symptoms negatively affect quality of life. Despite its prevalence, spasticity as a syndrome in the SCI population is not always managed effectively. This is likely due to the fact that the syndrome can have various presentations, each with their own specific etiology. This overview summarizes the symptoms and pathophysiology of the various presentations of spasticity in the SCI population and discusses the currently accepted management techniques. There is a need for a better understanding of the syndrome of spasticity as well as the development of a valid and reliable assessment tool.     

脊髓损伤后的高凝状态

目的:观察脊髓损伤患者凝血系统的变化。方法:以20例符合条件的脊髓损伤病人为研究对象,分别于伤后2~6h、伤后1、3、5d采集病人股静脉血,测定血浆凝血酶抗凝血酶Ⅲ复合物(TAT)、凝血酶原片段1 2(F1 2)和D-二聚体(D-dimer)浓度;同时测定20名健康献血员TAT、F1 2、D-dimer血浆浓度作为正常对照。结果:正常对照组TAT、F1 2和D-dimer血浆浓度分别为3.1±0.9ng/ml、0.9±0.2nmol/l和42.6±9.3ng/ml。20例脊髓损伤病人伤后2~6hTAT、F1 2、D-dimer血浆浓度即显著增高(P<0.05),分别达45.3±14.2ng/ml、4.1±0.7nmol/l和136.2±14.3ng/ml,伤后1、2d内仍明显高于对照组,伤后3、4d趋于正常。结论:脊髓损伤后可激活凝血系统,造成高凝状态,这种高凝状态于伤后数小时即可发生,且持续存在2~3d。     

Osteoporosis after spinal cord injury.

Dual-photon absorptiometry characterized bone loss in males aged less than 40 years after complete traumatic paraplegic and quadriplegic spinal cord injury. Total bone mass of various regions and bone mineral density (BMD) of the knee were measured in 55 subjects. Three different populations were partitioned into four groups: 10 controls (healthy, age matched); 25 acutely injured (114 days after injury), with 12 reexamined 16 months after injury; and 20 chronic (greater than 5 years after injury). Significant differences (p less than 0.0001) in bone mass mineral between groups at the arms, pelvis, legs, distal femur, and proximal tibia were found, with no differences for the head or trunk. Post hoc analyses indicated no differences between the acutely injured at 16 months and the chronically injured. Paraplegic and quadriplegic subjects were significantly different only at the arms and trunk, but were highly similar at the pelvis and below. In the acutely injured, a slight but statistically insignificant rebound was noted above the pelvis. Regression techniques demonstrated early, rapid, linear (p less than 0.0001) decline of bone below the pelvis. Bone mineral loss occurs throughout the entire skeleton, except the skull. Most bone loss occurs rapidly and below the pelvis. Homeostasis is reached by 16 months at two thirds of original bone mass, near fracture threshold.     

Worklife after traumatic spinal cord injury

OBJECTIVE: To develop predictive models to estimate worklife expectancy after spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: Inception cohort study. SETTING: Model SCI Care Systems throughout the United States. PARTICIPANTS: 20,143 persons enrolled in the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center database since 1973. INTERVENTION: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Postinjury employment rates and worklife expectancy. RESULTS: Using logistic regression, we found a greater likelihood of being employed in any given year to be significantly associated with younger age, white race, higher education level, being married, having a nonviolent cause of injury, paraplegia, ASIA D injury, longer time postinjury, being employed at injury and during the previous postinjury year, higher general population employment rate, lower level of Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, and calendar years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. CONCLUSIONS: The likelihood of postinjury employment varies substantially among persons with SCI. Given favorable patient characteristics, worklife should be considerably higher than previous estimates.     

Rehabilitative therapies after spinal cord injury

We review some basic and highly relevant concepts in the effort to develop improved rehabilitative interventions for subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI). Interventions that are likely to contribute to improved sensorimotor function include (1) practice of the specific motor task that needs to be improved; and (2) combining the training with one or more interventions--such as pharmacological modulation of the excitability of spinal neural networks, implantation of selected cell types such as olfactory ensheathing glia (OEG), and/or modulation of the excitability of the spinal cord via epidural stimulation. Upon improvement of the neural control of the musculature following SCI, it will always be prudent to maximize the torque output from these activation patterns by assuring that muscle mass is maintained. Therefore, it seems quite feasible that considerable improvement in locomotor performance can be achieved by improved coordination of motor pools, as well as effective recovery of muscle mass, which will assist in the potential generation of normal forces among agonistic and antagonistic muscle groups.     

Spinal myoclonus after spinal cord injury

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: In the course of examining spinal motor function in many hundreds of people with traumatic spinal cord injury, we encountered 6 individuals who developed involuntary and rhythmic contractions in muscles of their legs. Although there are many reports of unusual muscle activation patterns associated with different forms of myoclonus, we believe that certain aspects of the patterns seen with these 6 subjects have not been previously reported. These patterns share many features with those associated with a spinal central pattern generator for walking. METHODS: Subjects in this case series had a history of chronic injury to the cervical spinal cord, resulting in either complete (ASIA A; n = 4) or incomplete (ASIA D; n = 2) quadriplegia. We used multi-channel electromyography recordings of trunk and leg muscles of each subject to document muscle activation patterns associated with different postures and as influenced by a variety of sensory stimuli. RESULTS: Involuntary contractions spanned multiple leg muscles bilaterally, sometimes including weak abdominal contractions. Contractions were smooth and graded and were highly reproducible in rate for a given subject (contraction rates were 0.3-0.5 Hz). These movements did not resemble the brief rapid contractions (ie, "jerks") ascribed to some forms of spinal myoclonus. For all subjects, the onset of involuntary muscle contraction was dependent upon hip angle; contractions did not occur unless the hips (and knees) were extended (ie, subjects were supine). In the 4 ASIA A subjects, contractions occurred simultaneously in all muscles (agonists and antagonists) bilaterally. In sharp contrast, contractions in the 2 ASIA D subjects were reciprocal between agonists and antagonists within a limb and alternated between limbs, such that movements in these 2 subjects looked just like repetitive stepping. Finally, each of the 6 subjects had a distinct pathology of their spinal cord, nerve roots, distal trunk, or thigh; in 4 of these subjects, treatment of the pathology eliminated the involuntary movements. CONCLUSION: The timing, distribution, and reliance upon hip angle suggest that these movement patterns reflect some elements of a central pattern generator for stepping. Emergence of these movements in persons with chronic spinal cord injury is extremely rare and appears to depend upon a combination of the more rostrally placed injury and a pathologic process leading to a further enhancement of excitability in the caudal spinal cord.     

脊髓损伤后骨代谢

脊髓损伤(spinal cord injury)使机体的骨代谢发生改变并产生严重的并发症，其中骨质疏松(osteoporosis)与异位骨化(heterotopic ossification或ectopic ossification)是脊髓损伤患者常见的并发症。骨质疏松使肢体骨折风险性加大，异位骨化通常发生于大关节的周围，使关节功能受限，严重影响其生活质量。笔者就脊髓损伤后骨代谢改变研究进展作一综述。     

Weight change after spinal cord injury

Objectives: To study the patterns of weight change after spinal cord injury (SCI) and identify associated risk factors.

Study design: Cohort study.

Setting: Sixteen Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS), USA.

Participants: One thousand and ninety-four individuals with an SCI who were entered into the SCIMS and had a 1-year follow-up between October 2006 and November 2012.

Intervention: Not applicable.

Outcome measure: Change in body mass index (BMI) during the first year of injury. Height and weight were assessed during inpatient rehabilitation and 1 year after injury.

Results: Mean BMI decreased from 26.3 to 25.8?kg/m² during the first year after SCI (mean change: ?0.5?kg/m² (standard deviation: 3.58)). Weight loss was mainly observed among individuals classified as overweight or obese during rehabilitation (n = 576) with a BMI decrease of 1.4?kg/m², which varied significantly by sex, education, neurological level, and the presence of vertebral injury. Weight gain was noted among individuals classified as underweight or normal weight during rehabilitation (n?=?518) with a BMI increase of 0.5?kg/m², with the greatest increase among individuals of Hispanic origin (1.2?kg/m²), other marital status (1.2?kg/m²), age group 31–45 years (1.1?kg/m²), with less than high school education (1.1?kg/m²), without spinal surgery (0.9?kg/m²), and with motor functionally incomplete injury (0.8?kg/m²).

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that strategies for weight management should be addressed after a SCI to ameliorate the potential for unhealthful weight change, particularly among at-risk groups.     

Umbilical movement after spinal cord injury

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Charles Beevor first discussed the movement of the umbilicus seen upon abdominal muscle contraction in neuromuscular diseases and spinal cord injury (SCI) over a century ago. Since then, other examples of this phenomenon have been reported in the literature. METHODS: This case review study documents movements of the umbilicus caused by abdominal muscle weakness after SCI. RESULTS: SCI results in characteristic weakness of the abdominal muscles resulting in predictable movement of the umbilicus upon abdominal muscle contraction. CONCLUSIONS: Observation of umbilical movement with abdominal muscle contraction after SCI gives further confirmatory information about neurological level and type of spinal cord lesion. Further study should include information about the effect of abdominal weakness on motor and respiratory function.     

大鼠脊髓损伤后巢蛋白在脊髓组织中的表达

目的探讨大鼠脊髓损伤后巢蛋白(nestin)的表达规律及其意义。方法30只Wister成年大鼠,随机分为正常对照组(A组)、损伤组(B组)。采用Allen打击模型(25g·cm),在T10段造成急性脊髓损伤,于损伤后1d、3d、1周、4周、8周进行取材,对距离损伤中心5mm处脊髓进行nestin免疫组化检测。应用图像分析软件进行nestin阳性区域面积侧算。结果A组脊髓室管膜细胞只可见极少数细胞胞浆内nestin表达,白质中几乎无表达。B组中nestin于损伤后24h表达于室管膜以及软膜,灰质和白质亦有少量表达,1周达到高峰(P<0.05),4周明显下降,8周时很少或几乎无表达。结论脊髓组织的许多部位可能存在具有分化和更新潜能的祖细胞,脊髓损伤后这些细胞被激活,在功能恢复中可能发挥着重要的作用。     

Return to work after spinal cord injury

OBJECTIVE: To describe predictors of return to work after spinal cord injury (SCI), in particular the physical intensity of the pre-injury job. STUDY DESIGN: Survey. SETTING: Patients' home. METHODS: We interviewed 234 persons with a spinal cord injury (SCI) between 18 and 65 years of age and who were gainfully employed at the time of the injury. Possible predictors were tested with logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: After the SCI, only 37% of the persons were gainfully employed. People with heavy and strenuous physical work pre-injury regained work in only 25%, respectively 21%. Being male (Odds Ratio (OR) 3.70), light to moderate physical job pre-injury (OR 3.16), high Barthel Index (OR 2.76), high educational level (OR 2.12) and education post-injury (OR 2.14) were significant predictors for returning to gainful work after injury. Many unemployed persons thought they were capable of working. CONCLUSIONS: Only a minority returned to gainful employment after SCI even to a physically less demanding job. In addition to intensive inpatient re-education, long-term support in job seeking is very important, including switching to a less demanding job.     

Pain management after traumatic spinal cord injury

Pain is experienced by people suffering from spinal cord injury leading to disability and affecting the person's functional ability, independence, psychological well - being, ability to return to work and quality of life. Pain management in these patients is notoriously difficult due to multiple factors and varied mechanism leading to pain. Only few treatments have been assessed in randomized, controlled trials and management is based on different case reports. We are reporting our experience of managing 2 patients with neuropathic pain following traumatic spinal cord injury. Both the patients were refractory to conventional pain medications but there was significant reduction in pain following lignocaine infusion in the first patient and with ketamine in the second patient.     

Ependymal reaction after experimental spinal cord injury

Summary Images of ependymal cell proliferation after experimental spinal cord injury in the rabbit are presented. This finding suggests that segmental central canal obliteration after injury could be considered in the pathogenesis of posttraumatic syringomyelia.     

Causes of death after spinal cord injury

STUDY DESIGN: Mortality review was undertaken of patients who suffered traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) between 1955 and 1994 inclusive. OBJECTIVES: The study objective was to provide evidence of reasons for the observed reduction in long-term life expectancy for the SCI population. SETTING: Patients were those who had most, if not all, of their inpatient and outpatient care at Royal North Shore Hospital, Spinal Injuries Unit, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. METHODS: Data on causes of death for 195 patients fitting the inclusion criteria were analysed by actuarial methods using ICD9CM classifications. RESULTS: The incidence of death in the spinal cord injured, from septicaemia, pneumonia and influenza, diseases of the urinary uystem and suicide, are significantly higher than in the general population. The findings confirm variations in potentially treatable causes of death depending on neurological impairment, attained age and duration since injury. Unlike septicaemia and pneumonia, which have shown a significant reduction since 1980, the death rate for suicide alone has risen. CONCLUSION: This analysis identified complications which affect mortality and morbidity in patients suffering from the effects of SCI.