Sleep‐disordered breathing in spinal cord‐injured patients: A short‐term longitudinal study

Background and objective: Previous studies have demonstrated an increased incidence of sleep apnoea in spinal cord‐injured patients. Many of these studies were performed in long‐term, stable spinal cord injury (SCI). The aims of this study were: (i) to determine the prevalence of sleep‐disordered breathing (SDB) in acute SCI; (ii) to document the change in SDB over time during the rehabilitation period; and (iii) to correlate the degree of SDB with ventilatory parameters. Methods: Sixteen subjects with an acute SCI level T12 and above with complete motor impairment (American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale A or B) were recruited. Assessment, including polysomnography, respiratory function testing, and hypoxic and hypercapnic ventilatory responses, were performed 6–8 weeks post SCI, and repeated 6 months post SCI. Results: Eleven of 16 subjects (73%) had evidence of sleep apnoea, five of whom were moderate to severe. This high incidence persisted during the acute admission, with 9 of 12 subjects (75%) having sleep apnoea on polysomnography 20 weeks following injury. There was no correlation between the severity of SDB and other measures, such as level or completeness of injury, respiratory function tests or measures of ventilatory responses. Conclusions: We have demonstrated a high incidence of sleep apnoea in the acute phase of SCI that persisted during the acute admission. Despite the high incidence of sleep apnoea, patients were relatively asymptomatic. Screening of this population would appear worthwhile given the high prevalence, although the significance of the sleep apnoea and clinical impact is not known.     

Emergency evaluation of cervical spine injuries: CT versus plain radiographs

The recognition and appropriate initial management of the patient with an acute cervical spine injury in the ED is important because of the devastating and catastrophic effects of spinal cord injury. The use of computed tomography (CT) scan compared with initial plain radiographs in the detection of acute blunt traumatic cervical spine injury was evaluated in 20 patients. There was a disparity between the plain film and the CT scan as read by an attending radiologist in 12 patients (60%). In five patients (25%) the plain radiograph suggested a fracture or dislocation that was confirmed by CT scan. In eight patients (40%) the cervical spine film was read as a fracture, dislocation, or soft tissue widening between the cervical spine vertebrae. CT scan done later after admission was normal. In the remaining seven patients the plain film was read as "normal." CT scan, however, was normal in only three, and in four of these seven patients there was a discrepancy between the plain radiograph and the CT. Thus in four of 20 patients (20%) the plain film was read as "normal," while CT scan showed a fracture in our study. CT scan was superior to plain films in diagnosing cervical spine trauma, and it eliminated the false-positive (40%) and false-negative (20%) results obtained by relying on plain radiographs alone.     

Intraoperative finding and management of complete spinal cord transection after thoracolumbar traumatic fracture-dislocation: A case report

Rationale:We report the first case of the management of spinal cord transection due to thoracolumbar fracture-dislocation in human beings. There are several case reports of cord transection, but only radiological findings have been reported; we report intraoperative findings and management.Patient concerns:A 53-year-old man presented to the hospital after falling. He had no motor power or sensation below T10 (below the umbilicus area) dermatome level. American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale was grade A. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography demonstrated a fracture and translation of the vertebral body at the T11-T12 level and anterior displacement of T11 on T12, with complete disruption of the spinal cord.Diagnosis:Complete spinal cord resection due to T11-T12 fracture-dislocation.Interventions:We performed spinal fusion with pedicle screw instrumentation (T10-L1) and autobone graft and decompression and repaired the dural sac to prevent cerebrospinal fluid leakage. There was no neurological recovery either immediately or 4 years post-operation at follow-up.Conclusion:To the best of our knowledge, this report is the first on the intraoperative finding and management of the complete transection of the spinal cord in thoracolumbar spine injury. Perfect fusion is required to facilitate rehabilitation and daily living, prevent neurogenesis, and prevent unnecessary pain such as phantom pain.     

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for spinal cord injury: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy can prevent further spinal cord injury (SCI) caused by spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury to the maximum extent, which has been reported increasingly in recent years. However its security and effectiveness still lack of high-quality medical evidence. In this study, we will perform a systematic review of previously published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HBO therapy for SCI.Methods:All potential RCTs on HBO therapy for SCI will be searched from the following electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, Wanfang database and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. We will search all electronic databases from their initiation to the September 30, 2020 in spite of language and publication date. Two contributors will independently select studies from all searched literatures, extract data from included trials, and evaluate study quality for all eligible RCTs using Cochrane risk of bias tool, respectively. Any confusion will be resolved by consulting contributor and a consensus will be reached. We will utilize RevMan 5.3 software to pool the data and to conduct the data analysis.Results:The quality of the assessments will be assessed through Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation. Data will be disseminated through publications in peer-reviewed journals.Conclusion:This study will provide evidence to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HBO therapy for SCI at evidence-based medicine level.Trial registration number:INPLASY 2020100084.     

High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy was effective for dysphagia associated with respiratory muscle paralysis due to cervical spinal cord injury: A case report

Rationale:Respiratory muscle paralysis due to low cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) can lead to dysphagia. Noninvasive positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy can effectively treat this type of dysphagia. High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy can generate a low level of positive airway pressure resembling PAP therapy, it may improve the dysphagia.Patient concerns:The patient was an 87-year-old man without preexisting dysphagia. He suffered a CSCI due to a dislocated C5/6 fracture, without brain injury, and underwent emergency surgery. Postoperatively (day 2), he complained of dysphagia, and the intervention was initiated.Diagnosis:Based on clinical findings, dysphagia in this case, may have arisen due to impaired coordination between breathing and swallowing, which typically occurs in patients with CSCI who have reduced forced vital capacity.Interventions:HFNC oxygen therapy was started immediately after the surgery, and swallowing rehabilitation was started on Day 2. Indirect therapy (without food) and direct therapy (with food) were applied in stages. HFNC oxygen therapy appeared to be effective because swallowing function temporarily decreased when the HFNC oxygen therapy was changed to nasal canula oxygen therapy.Outcomes:Swallowing function of the patient improved and he did not develop aspiration pneumonia.Lessons:HFNC oxygen therapy improved swallowing function in a patient with dysphagia associated with respiratory-muscle paralysis following a CSCI. It may have prolonged the apnea tolerance time during swallowing and may have improved the timing of swallowing. HFNC oxygen therapy can facilitate both indirect and direct early swallowing therapy to restore both swallowing and respiratory function.     

Bryan人工颈椎间盘置换术在无骨折脱位脊髓损伤患者中的应用价值

目的探讨Bryan人工颈椎间盘置换术在无骨折脱位脊髓损伤患者中应用价值。方法采用Bryan人工颈椎间盘置换术治疗50例无骨折脱位脊髓损伤患者（存在创伤诱因5例）,比较有、无创伤诱因患者的临床效果。结果创伤与无外伤组在术前及末次随访置换节段活动度上比较均无统计学差异;创伤组术前及末次随访置换节段均无不稳定;创伤组JOA术前值及末次随访值均较无创伤组低,两组在JOA改善率上无统计学差异。结论对于无骨折脱位脊髓损伤患者,当压迫节段局限、无病变节段不稳定,颈椎人工间盘置换术也是一种有效的治疗策略。     

A clinical algorithm for the diagnosis of malaria: results of an evaluation in an area of low endemicity

We conducted a study of 1945 children and 2885 adults who presented with fever to a hospital outpatients clinic in an urban area of India order to develop and evaluate a clinical algorithm for the diagnosis of malaria. Only 139 (7%) children and 349 (12%) adults had microscopically confirmed malaria. None of the symptoms or signs elicited from the respondents were good predictors of clinical malaria. Simple scores were derived through combining clinical features which were associated with slide positivity or were judged by clinicians to be important. The best-performing algorithms were a score of 4 clinical features in children (sensitivity 60.0% and specificity 61.2%) and a score of 5 in adults (sensitivity 54.6% and specificity 57.5%). The clinical features differed and algorithm performances were poorer than in previous studies in highly endemic areas. The conclusion is that malaria diagnosis in areas of low endemicity requires microscopy to be accurate.     

Quantitative analysis by in vivo imaging of the dynamics of vascular and axonal networks in injured mouse spinal cord

Understanding the endogenous repair capacity of spinal cord is pivotal to develop strategies to improve it. Here we design a paradigm of spinal cord lesion in the dorsal column using a 2-photon microscopy technique to dynamically and chronically monitor simultaneous changes of vascular and axonal networks in living mice up to 4 months postinjury. High-resolution images showed that early explorative sprouting of surviving injured axons resulted in extensive regrowth until and past the lesion site within 2 months. Blood vessel density was transiently up-regulated and most neurovascular interactions occurred within 2 weeks. Time-lapse analysis showed that neovessels exerted a potent growth stimulating action, but no guidance effect on neighboring sprouts, possibly because of their geometry and plasticity. Nevertheless, if reconnection depends on axon sprout density, stimulation of angiogenesis would probably be beneficial to repair. More generally, this imaging approach is showing promise to aid in monitoring brain diseases and the efficacy of potential treatments.     

Mitochondrial regulatory mechanisms in spinal cord injury: A narrative review

Spinal cord injury is a severe central nervous system injury that results in the permanent loss of motor, sensory, and autonomic functions below the level of injury with limited recovery. The pathological process of spinal cord injury includes primary and secondary injuries, characterized by a progressive cascade. Secondary injury impairs the ability of the mitochondria to maintain homeostasis and leads to calcium overload, excitotoxicity, and oxidative stress, further exacerbating the injury. The defective mitochondrial function observed in these pathologies accelerates neuronal cell death and inhibits regeneration. Treatment of spinal cord injury by preserving mitochondrial biological function is a promising, although still underexplored, therapeutic strategy. This review aimed to explore mitochondrial-based therapeutic advances after spinal cord injury. Specifically, it briefly describes the characteristics of spinal cord injury. It then broadly discusses the drugs used to protect the mitochondria (e.g., cyclosporine A, acetyl-L-carnitine, and alpha-tocopherol), phenomena associated with mitochondrial damage processes (e.g., mitophagy, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis), mitochondrial transplantation for nerve cell regeneration, and innovative mitochondrial combined protection therapy.     

Structural differentiation of skeletal muscle fibers in the absence of innervation in humans

The relative importance of muscle activity versus neurotrophic factors in the maintenance of muscle differentiation has been greatly debated. Muscle biopsies from spinal cord injury patients, who were trained with an innovative protocol of functional electrical stimulation (FES) for prolonged periods (2.4-9.3 years), offered the unique opportunity of studying the structural recovery of denervated fibers from severe atrophy under the sole influence of muscle activity. FES stimulation induced surprising recovery of muscle structure, mass, and force even in patients whose muscles had been denervated for prolonged periods before the beginning of FES training (up to 2 years) and had almost completely lost muscle-specific internal organization. Ninety percent (or more) of the fibers analyzed by electron microscopy showed a striking recovery of the ultrastructural organization of myofibrils and Ca(2+)-handling membrane systems. This functional/structural restoration follows a pattern that mimics some aspects of normal muscle differentiation. Most importantly, the recovery occurs in the complete absence of motor and sensory innervation and of nerve-derived trophic factors, that is, solely under the influence of muscle activity induced by electrical stimulation.     

Developing a clinical algorithm for early management of cervical spine injury in child trauma victims

To define a subset of injured children for whom emergency cervical spine radiography may be unnecessary, we performed a retrospective chart and radiologic review. Two entry methods were used: All injured children, from birth through 16 years, who had received cervical spine radiographs at The Children's Memorial Hospital from September 1983, to September 1984, were included. All patients from birth to 16 years with proven or suspected cases of cervical spine injury who had received cervical spine radiographs and who had been treated at either the Children's Memorial Hospital or the Northwestern University Spine Trauma Unit during period 1974 to 1984 also were included. Each child's chart was reviewed, and 84 clinical variables were recorded. All radiographs were reviewed by a pediatric neuroradiologist. Of 206 children studied, 59 had cervical spine injuries. A clinical algorithm was derived using the following eight variables: neck pain; neck tenderness; limitation of neck mobility; history of trauma to the neck; and abnormalities of reflexes, strength, sensation, or mental status. The following decision rule was selected: Positive findings in any of these eight variables mandates cervical spine radiography. This algorithm correctly identified 58 of 59 children with cervical spine injury, yielding a sensitivity of 98% and specificity of 54%. Cervical spine radiographs could have been avoided in 79 children (38% of the entire sample). This algorithm performed better than did models derived from logistic regression analysis of the same data. Validation trials are required prior to the implementation of this or other clinical decision algorithms in practice.     

Efficacy and safety of heat-sensitive moxibustion in the treatment of neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the most disabling and destructive neurological diseases. Neurogenic bladder dysfunction (NBD) is one of the serious complications after SCI, 80% of patients after SCI will have neurogenic bladder symptoms. NBD after SCI may lead to urinary retention, urinary incontinence, and urinary tract infection. In severe cases, it can lead to renal failure or even death. NBD after SCI not only seriously affects the patient''s quality of life but also physical and mental health. NBD after SCI is a social and medical problem. In recent years, more and more clinical studies prove that heat-sensitive can improve the clinical symptoms of NBD after SCI. Therefore, this article conducts a systematic evaluation and meta-analysis on the efficacy and safety of heat-sensitive moxibustion in treating NBD after SCI.Methods:Search 8 electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, Clinical Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Wanfang Database, and China Biomedical Literature Database. We will search above electronic databases from the inception to May 2021, without any language restriction. Clinical randomized controlled trials containing heat-sensitive moxibustion for NBD after SCI and eligible interventions(s) and outcome(s) were included, with no limitation of language and publication status. Two researchers will independently conduct literature search, screening, information extraction, quality assessment, and data analysis. Review Manager 5.3 software will be used for statistical analysis.Results:The findings will be submitted to a peer-reviewed publication.Conclusion:This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide a standard clinical decision-making guideline for heat-sensitive moxibustion treatment of NBD after SCI.INPLASY registration number:INPLASY202150071.     

老年人急性中央颈脊髓损伤预后的临床研究

目的探讨年龄对急性中央颈脊髓损伤预后的影响以及老年人急性中央颈脊髓损伤的临床特点。方法回顾性对比分析８９例急性中央颈脊髓损伤，其中老年患者（６０～８１岁）２９例，占３２．６％；非老年患者（２５～５９岁）６０例。结果老年组中，四肢型２７例，发生率为９３．１％，高于非老年组的６６．７％（４０／６０）（χ２＝５．９９１，Ｐ＜０．０５）。年龄与初诊及最后随访时美国脊柱损伤协会（ＡＳＩＡ）评分（老年组分别为３７．４及７６．６分，非老年组为４３．８及８７．６分）呈负相关，差异有显著性（ｒ＝－０．２６３，Ｐ＝＜０．０５及ｒ＝－０．３４７，Ｐ＜０．０１）。２例死亡者为老年患者。老年组四肢型损伤２７例中，合并严重颈椎退行性变２４例，发生率（８８．９％）明显高于非老年组（Ｐ＜０．０５）。结论老年人急性中央颈脊髓损伤预后较差。     

Comparison of video-stylet and conventional laryngoscope for endotracheal intubation in adults with cervical spine immobilization: A PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis

Background:Although minimization of cervical spine motion by using a neck collar or manual in-line stabilization is recommended for urgent tracheal intubation (TI) in patients with known or suspected cervical spine injury (CSI), it may worsen glottic visualization. The overall performance of video-stylets during TI in patients with neck immobilization remains unclear. The current meta-analysis aimed at comparing the intubation outcomes of different video-stylets with those of conventional laryngoscopes in patients with cervical immobilization.Method:The databases of Embase, Medline, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from inception to June 2021 to identify trials comparing intubation outcomes between video-stylets and conventional laryngoscopes. The primary outcome was first-pass success rate, while secondary outcomes included overall success rate, time to intubation, the risk of intubation-associated sore throat, or tissue damage.Results:Five randomized controlled trials published between 2007 and 2013 involving 487 participants, all in an operating room setting, were analyzed. The video-stylets investigated included Bonfils intubation fiberscope, Levitan FPS Scope, and Shikani optical stylet. There was no difference in first-pass success rate (risk ratio [RR] =1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.89–1.31, P = .46], overall success rate (RR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.93–1.22, P = .4), intubation time [mean difference = 4.53 seconds, 95% CI: –8.45 to 17.51, P = .49), and risk of tissue damage (RR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.16–1.3, P = .14) between the 2 groups. The risk of sore throat was lower with video-stylets compared to that with laryngoscopes (RR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.23–0.9, P = .02).Conclusion:Our results did not support the use of video-stylets as the first choice for patients with neck immobilization. Further studies are required to verify the efficacy of video-stylets in the nonoperating room setting.     

Posterior tibial nerve stimulation for faecal incontinence after partial spinal injury: preliminary report

Background This study evaluated the possible effects of posterior tibial nerve stimulation in two patients with faecal incontinence due to partial spinal cord injury. Methods Posterior tibial nerve stimulation was performed for 30 min, every other day for 4 weeks, and was then repeated every 2 months for three months. Clinical examination, anorectal physiological work-up, faecal incontinence severity index, and quality of life assessments were performed before and after the treatment. Results After posterior tibial nerve stimulation, patients showed improvement in rectal sensory threshold, pudendal nerve terminal motor latency, Wexner faecal incontinence score, faecal incontinence severity index, faecal incontinence quality of life scales, resting pressure, and maximum squeeze pressure measurements. Conclusions Posterior tibial nerve stimulation can be an effective method for the treatment of faecal incontinence caused by partial spinal cord injury.