Urodynamic Patterns after Acute Spinal Cord Injury: Association with Bladder Trabeculation in Male Patients

Abstract

A study was done on 80 male acute spinal cord injury patients with reflex bladder voiding to demonstrate an association between the development of radiological bladder trabeculation and serial urodynamic pressure/flow measurements. All patients were evaluated with cystograms and urodynamic studies during 1 to 3, 4 to 9 and 10 to 24 months after injury. Urodynamic measurements from those patients with bladder trabeculation were compared to those who retained normal-appearing bladders on x-ray. A high percentage of patients (70 per cent) suffered trabeculation by 24 months after injury. Post-void residual urine volumes were not clinically helpful in identifying those patients with bladder deterioration. However, analysis of the urodynamic pressure/flow measurements revealed significant differences between patients who had trabeculation and those who maintained normal bladders on x-ray during the 3 sequential intervals after injury.