Abstract
:Background:Penetrating spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are an uncommon injury and not reported very frequently. SCIs cause sensory, motor and genitourinary system problems or a combination of sensorimotor dysfunctions. These are among the most debilitating kinds of disorders and negatively affect quality of life, not only for the patient, but also for their family members. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate complete or incomplete SCIs and the course of the injury and the prognosis for SCIs caused by stab wounds.Methods:This case-series design study was performed on 57 patients attending the emergency department of Taleqani Trauma Center (Kermanshah, Iran) due to SCIs caused by violent encounters involving sharp objects such as a knife, dagger, whittle and Bowie-knife between 1999 and 2011. An assessment of sensory and motor functions was performed as part of the neurological examination on admission, and during the treatment, using the Frankel Classification grading system, and the results were recorded.Results:The average age of patients was 27 years (SD= 7.9, Range=17 to 46 years). The results of the study showed a proportion of cervical, thoracic and lumbar injuries of 23 (40%), 24 (42%) and 10 (18%), respectively. There was no case of cerebrospinal fluid leakage (CSF) or infection at the wound site in the subjects. Regarding the extent of the SCI, the combined neurological assessment showed that several patients (43%) had a complete SCI with no sensory and motor functions in the sacral segments and the segments below the site of injury. In 32 patients (57%) incomplete injuries were observed; i.e. they showed only some degrees of sensory-motor functions that were below the neurological level.Conclusions:Both complete and incomplete SCIs are of great importance because the prognosis of SCI is directly associated with the location and extent of injury. It should be considered that partial recovery from SCIs is possible in few cases of complete injuries. Therefore, all the patients should be treated carefully and seriously.
Highlights
Penetrating spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are an uncommon medical problem and not reported as frequently as SCIs caused by motor vehicle accidents and falls.[1]
There was no case of cerebrospinal fluid leakage (CSF) or infection at the wound site in the subjects
Fore the results were in line with the studies conducted in South Africa by Peacock et al The mean age of the participants of our study was lower than the previous similar studies; this difference can be ascribed to the rather young population of Iran. 1, 11
Summary
Penetrating spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are an uncommon medical problem and not reported as frequently as SCIs caused by motor vehicle accidents and falls.[1] SCIs cause sensory, motor and genitourinary system problems or a combination of sensorimotor dysfunctions. These injuries are among the most debilitating. Regarding the extent of the SCI, the combined neurological assessment showed that several patients (43%) had a complete SCI with no sensory and motor functions in the sacral segments and the segments below the site of injury. All the patients should be treated carefully and seriously
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
