Muscle spasticity associated with reduced whole-leg perfusion in persons with spinal cord injury

Abstract

Objective

To determine the association between peripheral blood flow and spasticity in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design

A cross-sectional study with measurements of muscle spasticity and whole-limb blood flow in individuals with SCI.

Setting

University of Texas at Austin and Brain & Spine Recovery Center, Austin, TX, USA.

Participants

Eighteen individuals (14 males and 4 females) with SCI were classified into high (N = 7), low (N = 6), and no (N = 5) spasticity groups according to the spasticity levels determined by the modified Ashworth scale scores.

Interventions

Whole-limb blood flow was measured in the femoral and brachial arteries using Doppler ultrasound and was normalized to lean limb mass obtained with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Outcome measures

Limb blood flow and muscle spasticity.

Results

Age, time post-SCI, and the American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale motor and sensory scores were not different among groups with different muscle spasticity. Femoral artery blood flow normalized to lean leg mass was different (P = 0.001) across the three spasticity groups (high 78.9 ± 16.7, low 98.3 ± 39.8, no 142.5 ± 24.3 ml/minute/kg). Total leg muscle spasticity scores were significantly and negatively correlated with femoral artery blood flow (r = ?0.59, P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in brachial artery blood flow among the groups.

Conclusions

Whole-leg blood flow was lower in individuals with greater spasticity scores. These results suggest that a reduction in lower-limb perfusion may play a role, at least in part, in the pathogenesis leading to muscle spasticity after SCI.     

单侧椎板成形与全椎板切除术后C5神经根麻痹发生率分析

目的 探讨颈椎后路全椎板切除辅助钉棒系统固定与后路单侧椎板成形辅助微型钢板固定术后C5神经根麻痹发生率及其他手术相关并发症差异。 方法 回顾性分析因本院行颈后路减压手术患者105例,其中49例患者行后路全椎板切除辅助钉棒系统固定,56例患者行后路单侧椎板成形术微型钢板内固定术。所有患者手术前后均进行日本骨科学会（Japanese Orthopaedic Association, JOA）评分及影像学评估。 结果 2组患者术后C5神经根麻痹发生率差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。2种手术方式神经功能改善率差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。 结论 C5神经根麻痹发生可能与术后颈髓漂移造成神经根牵拉有关。单侧椎板成形辅助微型钢板固定并发症较少,但单侧椎板成形术对颈椎没有矫形作用。     

化脓性胸椎炎伴硬膜外脓肿突发截瘫1例

患者,女,70岁,因"腰背痛伴发热40d,加重7d"入院。40d前出现高热、咳嗽、咳痰,无胸痛,有腰背部持续性酸痛,休息后无缓解,下肢无麻木、疼痛感,活动可。胸部CT示:肺部感染。X线片检查示:T12椎体楔形改变(见图1a)。诊断为"T12压缩性椎体骨折和肺部感染",予头孢曲松针静滴,口服骨化三醇片,体温在38.0～38.5℃,咳嗽、咳痰减少,腰背痛未     

颈椎单开门椎管成形微钛板与丝线或锚钉固定术后C5神经根麻痹的对比分析

 目的 比较颈椎单开门椎管扩大成形术中使用微钛板于开门侧固定椎板和使用丝线或锚钉于铰链侧固定椎板对C5神经根麻痹及再关门的影响。方法 回顾性分析2011年1月至2013年1月采用颈椎单开门椎管扩大成形术治疗142例脊髓型颈椎病患者资料,根据控制开门方式将患者分为铰链侧固定组(使用丝线或锚钉于铰链侧固定椎板)和开门侧固定组(使用微钛板于开门侧固定椎板)。铰链侧固定组78例,男46例,女32例;年龄42～68岁,平均59岁。开门侧固定组64例,男41例,女23例;年龄44～71岁,平均57岁。术后采用日本骨科协会(Japanese Orthopaedic Association, JOA)评分评定神经功能并计算改善率,记录手术时间、出血量及C5神经根麻痹情况,比较两组开门角度、颈椎曲度指数、脊髓后移及脊髓压迫程度等。结果 铰链侧固定组和开门侧固定组患者均获得随访,随访时间均超过12个月;两组患者均一期愈合。铰链侧固定组术后9例发生C5神经根麻痹,发生率为11.5%(9/78);微钛板开门侧固定组1例发生C5神经根麻痹,发生率为1.6%(1/64);两者比较差异有统计学意义(P=0.047)。铰链侧固定组开门角度及脊髓后移量大于微钛板开门侧固定组。10例C5神经根麻痹者的脊髓后移量为(3.97±1.19) mm,较无C5神经根麻痹者[(2.57±1.01) mm]高。铰链侧固定组和开门侧固定组术前(12.23%±3.70%和11.38%±4.29%)及术后1周(12.12%±3.77%和11.31%±4.35%)颈椎曲度指数无差异;术后12个月JOA评分[(12.35±1.09)分和(13.55±0.91)分]、JOA评分改善率(64.24%±9.49%和61.78%±11.48%)及脊髓受压程度(0.74%±0.71%和0.75%±0.67%)无差异。术后6个月CT示铰链侧固定组27%患者椎板开门角度丢失>10°,微钛板开门侧固定组开门角度无变化。结论 颈椎单开门椎管扩大成形术中使用微钛板固定与使用丝线或锚钉固定控制开门角度相比,不影响神经功能恢复,但可降低C5神经根麻痹的发生率及减少椎板开门角度丢失。     

Parto con analgesia epidural en una gestante con parálisis periódica hipocaliémica

Familial hypokalaemic periodic paralysis (FHPP) is an uncommon genetic disease characterized by muscle weakness associated with hypokalaemia. Episodes are precipitated by drugs, stress, metabolic diseases, hypothermia or infection. We report the case of a 38-year-old pregnant women with FHPP who underwent epidural analgesia for labour. Pregnant women with FHPP require multidisciplinary management involving an anaesthesiologist, a gynaecologist and a paediatrician. It is important to maintain normothermia, prevent hyperventilation, monitor electrolytes, avoid glucose infusions and medications that cause hypokalaemia, and administer potassium supplements when required. Locoregional techniques should be preferred over general anaesthesia. Early epidural analgesia reduces the risk of pain that could trigger an episode of FHPP. In the case of general anaesthesia, drugs that can cause malignant hyperthermia should be avoided, and short-acting non-depolarizing neuromuscular blockers with blockade-depth monitoring should be used.     

Spinal schwannoma causes acute subarachnoid haemorrhage: A case report and literature review

BackgroundSpinal schwannomas that arise from spinal nerve root sheaths are the most common intradural extramedullary spinal tumours and are often accompanied by nerve roots or spinal cord irritation symptoms. The phenomenon of spinal schwannoma causing subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is rare, with ependymoma of the conus medullaris accounting for most cases.Case reportA 45-year-old man was admitted to our hospital due to progressive lower limb weakness and sudden back pain after hard physical work. The patient had not been able to walk for 2 hours upon admission. An emergency magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan showed that the spinal cord at the C6-T4 level was severely compressed by a subdural mass. During the emergency operation, exploration of the dura and arachnoid mater revealed a fresh blood clot covering a tumour located on the ventral side of the spinal cord. The size of the tumour was approximately 3 × 2 × 1 cm without adhesion to the surrounding tissue, but the drainage vein was ruptured. Postoperative pathology showed that the tumour was a schwannoma with areas of fresh haemorrhage and focal necrosis.ConclusionsSpinal schwannomas presenting with SAH are rare events. In our opinion, spinal pathology with rapid progression of neurological symptoms requires early diagnosis and emergency management. Complete excision of haemorrhagic tumours is the goal of treatment to prevent recurrence, which can effectively avoid irreversible damage to the spinal cord resulting from spinal cord compression.     

尺桡骨旋转截骨治疗大龄分娩性臂丛神经损伤前臂旋前挛缩畸形

目的 评价尺桡骨旋转截骨术治疗分娩性臂丛神经损伤(产瘫)肘挛缩后遗症的价值.方法 2007年8月至2009年10月,对13例产瘫肘后遗症前臂旋前挛缩并发桡骨小头脱位的患儿,行前臂尺桡骨旋前截骨手术.术后以旋前位置角度的改善作为前臂功能的评价标准.结果 术后随访时间为6～16个月,平均8个月.术后前臂均处于旋前30.位,功能及外观获得改善.结论 尺桡骨旋转截骨矫形手术在产瘫肘挛缩后遗症的治疗中具有一定的应用价值.     

早期神经移位移植治疗产瘫

目的：报告早期神经移位移植治疗产瘫的方法和疗效。方法：１９９５年５月～１９９６年８月，对１２例出生后３个月无肌力恢复的产瘫患儿进行手术治疗，上干不全损伤神经瘤形成者８例，上干完全断裂或根性撕脱４例，采用４种神经移位移植术修复上干。用Ｍａｌｅｔ评分评价疗效。结果：术后随访１６～２８个月，平均２０．８个月，肩肘功能完全恢复３例，达ＭａｌｅｔⅣ级６例，优良率７５％，膈神经移位优良率８３．３％，副神经移位优良率６６．７％。结论：早期神经移位移植治疗产瘫可获得满意疗效     

针灸治疗后天麻痹性斜视的临床观察

目的 观察针灸治疗后天麻痹性斜视的临床疗效.方法 选择诊断明确的后天麻痹性斜视患者105例108只眼,随机分为两组,治疗组予以针灸治疗,对照组则采用B族维生素及复方血栓通胶囊治疗.结果 两组疗效经Ridit分析,治疗组(总有效率96.5%)明显优于对照组(总有效率86.7%)(P<0.05),治疗时间明显比对照组短(P<0.01).随访半年,未见复发.结论 针灸治疗后天麻痹性斜视疗效确切.     

Time selection of acupuncture treatment for facial paralysis

目的：探讨针灸治疗面神经麻痹的最佳时机。方法：采用相同针法，对不同时期的面瘫患者86例进行疗效分析。治疗组各期均采用单纯常规毫针针刺，发展期刺激量小，静止期和恢复期加大刺激量；对照组发展期只给予改善微循环及皮质激素类药物，并辅以神经营养药治疗，静止期和恢复期治疗方法同治疗组。结果：治疗组痊愈率为88．1％，对照组为68．2％，而且治疗组痊愈所用时间也比对照组短。结论：说明早期针刺疗效优于西医常规治疗，而且疗程缩短。