The Relationship Between the Duration of Cauda Equina Compression and Functional Outcomes in a Rat Model

Abstract

Traumatic injuries and/or acute disc herniations of the lumbosacral spine are the most common cause of Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES). The symptoms of CES may have a devastating impact on a patient’s quality of life. The most common symptoms include lower extremity weakness/pain, paralysis, loss of sensation and bowel/bladder/sexual dysfunction. To date urgent surgery is the only successful treatment option for CES, however controversy exists regarding the optimal timing of surgery. Previous basic science studies have focused on the effect of the duration of compression on lower extremity paralysis/motor function, but there is a paucity of research on the pain, sensation change, and bladder function associated with severe acute cauda equina compression.