Complete Cord Research Articles

Neurotrophin-3-Loaded Multichannel Nanofibrous Scaffolds Promoted Anti-Inflammation, Neuronal Differentiation, and Functional Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury.

The clinical therapeutics for nerve tissue regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) are very limited because of the complex biological processes and inhibitory microenvironment. Advanced biomaterials are highly desired to avoid severe secondary damage and provide guidance for axonal regrowth. Multichannel nanofibrous scaffolds were modified with gelatin and cross-linked by genipin. The gelatin-coated nanofibers exhibited strong binding affinity with neurotrophin-3, which underwent a well-controlled release and highly promoted neuronal differentiation and synapse formation of the seeded neural stem cells. The nanofibrous scaffolds fabricated by combinatorial biomaterials were implanted into complete transected spinal cords in rats. Not only were the inflammatory responses and collagen/astrocytic scar formation limited, but the functional neurons and remyelination were facilitated postsurgery, leading to highly improved functional restoration. This nanofibrous scaffold with high specific surface area can be easily modified with biomolecules, which was proven to be effective for nerve regeneration after transected SCI, and provided a springboard for advanced scaffold design in clinical applications.

Two-Stage Procedure Planning for the Surgical Correction of Severe Congenital Kyphosis: A Technical Case Report

Congenital kyphosis is a less common spinal malformation, which can progress and cause neurological deficits. The treatment of severe cases is complicated. There are several techniques of surgical intervention for the correction of kyphosis, but the selection of surgical methods is entirely dependent on the patient’s condition. This article reports a 14-year-old girl with severe congenital kyphosis, who underwent hemiepiphysiodesis at age 2. Last year, her neurological deterioration began and led to paraplegia over a couple of months. To treat her, we performed 2-stage multi-level vertebral column resection (Schwab type 6). First, she underwent anterior T12-L1-L2 complete corpectomy and cord decompression. Then, the resection of posterior elements from T12 to L2 and posterior fusion with instrumentation from T8 to L5 were performed. However, concerning this kind of severe deformity, we suggest using 3D planning, which facilitates the operation.

Surgical management of midline cervical cleft

IntroductionMidline Cervical Cleft (MCC) is a midline cervical congenital anomaly that manifests as a vertical cutaneous/subcutaneous defect with abnormal dermal elements as well as an underlying fibrous cord that extends from the sternum to the mentum of the mandible, which can lead to "wry neck" and hypoplastic mandible. The goal of surgical correction of MCC is to provide adequate healthy tissue coverage, as well as restore contour of the anterior neck. The primary treatment modality for midline cervical cleft is surgical. We describe a technique involving complete excision of the fibrous cord, and use of double z-plasty flap in order to create a tension-free closure and restore contour to the anterior neck. MethodsUsing a database search method, children with the clinical diagnosis of midline cervical cleft treated between 2006 and 2016 were identified at a pediatric tertiary care center. Chart review was completed to assess for age at surgery, follow up, results, and complications. Results12 patients were identified in the Lurie Children's Hospital (LCH) database. 8 patients underwent complete cord excision by the seniorauthor using the double z-plasty (DZ) technique for closure, with no recurrences. 4 patients underwent linear closure by another surgeon, had persistent contracture, and underwent revision using the DZ technique by the senior author, with no recurrence. Average age of surgery was 9.5 months. Most common post op complication was hypertrophic scar (3/12). Recurrence was only seen in the linear closure cases (4/12). ConclusionsMidline Cervical Cleft is a rare entity with less than 200 cases in the literature. We believe the double z-plasty closure and complete excision of the fibrous cord results in reproducible restoration of neck contour and prevents cord recurrence, and should be considered the standard method for surgical excision of MCC.

Motor primitives are determined in early development and are then robustly conserved into adulthood

Motor patterns in legged vertebrates show modularity in both young and adult animals, comprising motor synergies or primitives. Are such spinal modules observed in young mammals conserved into adulthood or altered? Conceivably, early circuit modules alter radically through experience and descending pathways' activity. We analyze lumbar motor patterns of intact adult rats and the same rats after spinal transection and compare these with adult rats spinal transected 5 days postnatally, before most motor experience, using only rats that never developed hind limb weight bearing. We use independent component analysis (ICA) to extract synergies from electromyography (EMG). ICA information-based methods identify both weakly active and strongly active synergies. We compare all spatial synergies and their activation/drive strengths as proxies of spinal modules and their underlying circuits. Remarkably, we find that spatial primitives/synergies of adult injured and neonatal injured rats differed insignificantly, despite different developmental histories. However, intact rats possess some synergies that differ significantly, although modestly, in spatial structure. Rats injured as adults were more similar in modularity to rats that had neonatal spinal transection than to themselves before injury. We surmise that spinal circuit modules for spatial synergy patterns may be determined early, before postnatal day 5 (P5), and remain largely unaltered by subsequent development or weight-bearing experience. An alternative explanation but equally important is that, after complete spinal transection, both neonatal and mature adult spinal cords rapidly converge to common synergy sets. This fundamental or convergent synergy circuitry, fully determined by P5, is revealed after spinal cord transection.

Foetal heart rate pattern after complete cord occlusion by radiofrequency ablation for selective reduction in the complicated monochorionic twin pregnancies

Background: The purpose of the present study was to assess foetal heart rate (FHR) pattern after complete cord occlusion by radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for selective reduction in the complicated monochorionic twin pregnancies. Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort study was done at an Iranian Hospital in 2016–2017 on 85 pregnant women candidate for selective reduction by RFA. Umbilical vein was cauterised two times (power 100 Watt) for 2 min. Cease of blood flow was confirmed by colour Doppler and FHR was recorded. Then, the pattern of FHR after cord blood occlusion was assessed and recorded with certain intervals until cardiac asystole. Results: Of all 85 participants who entered the study, 59 cases with normal heart echocardiography were eligible. After about 4-min post-RFA, FHR steeply dropped to

Long Drop Suicidal Hanging with Autopsy Finding of Cervical Spine Fracture: A Rare Case Report

Cervical fracture is a rare presentation in suicidal hanging but a common finding in judicial hanging where the person is dropped from a calculated height, resulting in fracture dislocation at the level of 2nd-3rd or 3rd-4th cervical vertebrae. In case of long drop hanging cervical fracture with or without dislocation is commonly found; possibly due toa greater tractional force due to longer height of suspension. We describe acase of an average built male weighing 72 kg who hanged himself by jumping off a roof top, with a drop length of 4.14m. On autopsy in addition to common findings of a hanging case, complete transection ofspinal cord and fracture dislocation of cervical vertebrae C2-C3 were found along with hematoma. In this case of long drop hanging, there was fracture of cervical spine with ligature knot being placed at sub-occipital position which is a rare autopsy finding.

Validation of targeted microsurgical spermatic cord denervation: comparison of outcomes to traditional complete microsurgical spermatic cord denervation.

The aim of this study was to validate the effectiveness of targeted microsurgical spermatic cord denervation (MSCD) of the trifecta nerve complex in comparison to traditional full MSCD with complete skeletonization of the spermatic cord in men with chronic orchialgia. Retrospective chart review was performed by a single fellowship-trained microsurgeon between 2011 and 2016. Patients had follow-ups at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. Thirty-nine men with chronic orchialgia underwent full MSCD between 2011 and 2013. In July 2013, after the publication of an anatomic study with identification of Wallerian degeneration of the trifecta nerve complex in men with chronic orchialgia, the technique was changed to targeted MSCD. From July 2013 to March 2016, 43 men underwent targeted MSCD. When comparing the full MSCD group to the targeted MSCD group, there was no significant difference in resolution of pain (66.7% vs 69.8%, P = 0.88), no difference in partial relief of pain (17.9% vs 23.3%, P = 0.55), and no difference in failure to respond rates (15.4% vs 7.0%, P = 0.22) between the two groups. There was no difference in mean change of visual analog pain scale scores between the two groups (P = 0.27). Targeted MSCD had a shorter operative time (53 min vs 21 min, P = 0.0001). Targeted MSCD offers patients comparable outcomes to traditional full MSCD, with a shorter operative time, a less technically challenging surgery, and potentially less risk to cord structures which should be preserved.

EEG sharp waves are a biomarker of striatal neuronal survival after hypoxia-ischemia in preterm fetal sheep

The timing of hypoxia-ischemia (HI) in preterm infants is often uncertain and there are few biomarkers to determine whether infants are in a treatable stage of injury. We evaluated whether epileptiform sharp waves recorded from the parietal cortex could provide early prediction of neuronal loss after HI. Preterm fetal sheep (0.7 gestation) underwent acute HI induced by complete umbilical cord occlusion for 25 minutes (n = 6) or sham occlusion (control, n = 6). Neuronal survival was assessed 7 days after HI by immunohistochemistry. Sharp waves were quantified manually and using a wavelet-type-2-fuzzy-logic-system during the first 4 hours of recovery. HI resulted in significant subcortical neuronal loss. Sharp waves counted by the automated classifier in the first 30 minutes after HI were associated with greater neuronal survival in the caudate nucleus (r = 0.80), whereas sharp waves between 2–4 hours after HI were associated with reduced neuronal survival (r = −0.83). Manual and automated counts were closely correlated. This study suggests that automated quantification of sharp waves may be useful for early assessment of HI injury in preterm infants. However, the pattern of evolution of sharp waves after HI was markedly affected by the severity of neuronal loss, and therefore early, continuous monitoring is essential.

Socio-demographic Characteristics and Mode of Traumatic Thoraco-Lumbar Spine Injuries at a Referral Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh

Background: Traumatic thoraco-lumbar spine injuries occur in different ways during working.Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to find out the-demographic Characteristics and Mode of Traumatic Thoraco-Lumbar Spine Injuries.Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2004 to June 2006 for a period of 2(two) years. Patients with diagnosed cases of traumatic thoraco-lumbar spinal injury with complete or incomplete cord lesion irrespective of sex were selected as study population. An elaborate history of the selected patient was taken with an emphasis of mechanism, time of injury, past history of illness.Result: A total number of 17 patients with thoracolumbar spine injury were recruited. Out of 17 patients, 7(41.2%) patients were in the age group of 21-30 years that is very younger age group. The mean age was 29.29 years. The male and female ratio was 4.7:1. In this series most affected people are farmer (47.05%). Most affected groups are injured by fall from height (70.58%) especially from tree and from roof of the buildings.Conclusion: Young age group male workers are most commonly affected in traumatic thoraco-lumbar spine injuries.Journal of National Institute of Neurosciences Bangladesh, 2018;4(1): 51-53

Lack of relationship between cord blood erythropoietin and intraventricular hemorrhage in premature neonates: a controversial result.

The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and risk factors of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) as well as the role of cord blood erythropoietin (EPO) level in predicting the possibility of IVH in premature neonates. This prospective study included 140 preterm neonates born at hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences from May 2014 to April 2015. Complete blood count and cord blood EPO level was measured after birth. Brain ultrasonography was performed at 3 and 7-10days after birth in these newborns. Brain ultrasonography showed IVH in 8.57% (12/140) until the third day and 20% (28/140) at 7-10days of life in premature neonates. Early gestational age, low birth weight, low Apgar score, and failure to give prenatal steroid were significant risk factors for developing IVH. The mean level of cord blood EPO was 20.95 ± 21.09mIU/mL in premature newborns without IVH and 15.82 ± 17.11mIU/mL with IVH. There was no correlation between the cord blood EPO and IVH in premature newborns. Antenatal steroids therapy should be encouraged among women at risk of premature delivery. Our results showed that the cord blood EPO was not correlated with IVH in preterm neonates and further research is required to assess this relationship.

Timing of surgery in traumatic spinal cord injury: a national, multidisciplinary survey

PurposeThe optimal surgical timeframe for neurological recovery in traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) still remains unknown. Recent guidelines have recommended performing surgery within 24 h for all patients with tSCI regardless of initial neurological deficit. It remains unclear whether patients with complete, incomplete tSCI, or traumatic central cord injury (TCCI) will experience the same degree of improvement after urgent surgical intervention. We investigated if the severity of initial neurological injury influenced surgeons on their decision-making of surgical timing in tSCI.MethodsWith a web-based survey, we investigated the current opinion in The Netherlands on timing of surgical decompression and stabilization, depending on the initial degree of neurological injury.ResultsSurgeons prefer to perform more urgent surgery for incomplete tSCI compared to complete tSCI. In addition, 43% of patients with complete tSCI are not preferably operated within the recommended 24 h. Even though TCCI is the most common form of incomplete tSCI, these patients are preferably managed less urgently than patients with other types of incomplete tSCI.ConclusionThe severity of initial neurological injury seems to play an important role in the urgency of surgical timing for tSCI. A substantial number of patients with complete tSCI are not preferably treated within the recommended surgical timeframe, while patients with incomplete tSCI are preferably operated far more urgent than recommended in the current guidelines.Graphical abstractThese slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Chronic, complete cervical6-7 cord transection: distinct autonomic and cardiac deficits.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) resulting in tetraplegia is a devastating, life-changing insult causing paralysis and sensory impairment as well as distinct autonomic dysfunction that triggers compromised cardiovascular, bowel, bladder, and sexual activity. Life becomes a battle for independence as even routine bodily functions and the smallest activity of daily living become major challenges. Accordingly, there is a critical need for a chronic preclinical model of tetraplegia. This report addresses this critical need by comparing, for the first time, resting-, reflex-, and stress-induced cardiovascular, autonomic, and hormonal responses each week for 4 wk in 12 sham-operated intact rats and 12 rats with chronic, complete C6-7 spinal cord transection. Loss of supraspinal control to all sympathetic preganglionic neurons projecting to the heart and vasculature resulted in a profound bradycardia and hypotension, reduced cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic tonus, reduced reflex- and stress-induced sympathetic responses, and reduced sympathetic support of blood pressure as well as enhanced reliance on angiotensin to maintain arterial blood pressure. Histological examination of the nucleus ambiguus and stellate ganglia supports the profound and distinct autonomic and cardiac deficits and reliance on angiotensin to maintain cardiovascular stability following chronic, complete cervical6-7 cord transection. NEW & NOTEWORTHY For the first time, resting-, reflex-, and stress-induced cardiovascular, autonomic, and hormonal responses were studied in rats with chronic, complete C6-7 cord transection. Loss of supraspinal control of all sympathetic preganglionic neurons reduced cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic tonus, reflex and stress-induced sympathetic responses, and sympathetic support of blood pressure as well as enhanced reliance on angiotensin to maintain arterial blood pressure. Histological examination supports the distinct deficits associated with cervical cord injury.

Evolving changes in fetal heart rate variability and brain injury after hypoxia-ischaemia in preterm fetal sheep.

Fetal heart rate variability is a critical index of fetal wellbeing. Suppression of heart rate variability may provide prognostic information on the risk of hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury after birth. In the present study, we report the evolution of fetal heart rate variability after both mild and severe hypoxia-ischaemia. Both mild and severe hypoxia-ischaemia were associated with an initial, brief suppression of multiple measures of heart rate variability. This was followed by normal or increased levels of heart rate variability during the latent phase of injury. Severe hypoxia-ischaemia was subsequently associated with the prolonged suppression of measures of heart rate variability during the secondary phase of injury, which is the period of time when brain injury is no longer treatable. These findings suggest that a biphasic pattern of heart rate variability may be an early marker of brain injury when treatment or intervention is probably most effective. Hypoxia-ischaemia (HI) is a major contributor to preterm brain injury, although there are currently no reliable biomarkers for identifying infants who are at risk. We tested the hypothesis that fetal heart rate (FHR) and FHR variability (FHRV) would identify evolving brain injury after HI. Fetal sheep at 0.7 of gestation were subjected to either 15 (n=10) or 25min (n=17) of complete umbilical cord occlusion or sham occlusion (n=12). FHR and four measures of FHRV [short-term variation, long-term variation, standard deviation of normal to normal R-R intervals (SDNN), root mean square of successive differences) were assessed until 72h after HI. All measures of FHRV were suppressed for the first 3-4h in the 15min group and 1-2h in the 25min group. Measures of FHRV recovered to control levels by 4h in the 15min group, whereas the 25min group showed tachycardia and an increase in short-term variation and SDNN from 4 to 6h after occlusion. The measures of FHRV then progressively declined in the 25min group and became profoundly suppressed from 18 to 48h. A partial recovery of FHRV measures towards control levels was observed in the 25min group from 49 to 72h. These findings illustrate the complex regulation of FHRV after both mild and severe HI and suggest that the longitudinal analysis of FHR and FHRV after HI may be able to help determine the timing and severity of preterm HI.

Spinal Cord Injury Paralysis: Synaptic Competitive-Learning and Rewiring Therapy Restores Locomotoricity

At this point in time there are only limited treatment options available for spinal cord injury (SCI) paralysis (e.g. implanted stimulation devices, stem cells). They are in clinical trials, complex, invasive, ill-affordable, and quality of outcome rather unpredictable. This author had presented two alternative treatment procedures based on over five decades of fundamental research on the functioning of the spinal cord motor system in 2009, 2013 and 2015. These are non-invasive, functional, and recovery predictable. The first one uses low-dose Botulinum toxin to select paralyzed limb muscles. The second consists of transient partial denervation of the muscles. They both operate on similar principles of synaptic competitive-learning (SCL) and rewiring. They focus on the spinal motoneuron, its synaptic connectivity, and spinal cord reflexes. They are (i) induce competition among neuromuscular synapses, (ii) modify the motoneurons’ soma sizes (Size principle) and thus their excitability-inhibitability, firing properties, (iii) resize the motor units of the paralyzed muscles, and (iv) reposition the synaptic memory weights impinging on the motoneurons. Animal model treated by the second procedure shows that even in complete cord injury, the residual networks of the isolated distal cord are capable of remarkable motor restoration (see videos). This paper now explains the precise mechanisms behind the restorative rewiring (SCL) therapy.

The Beneficial Effects of Melatonin Administration Following Hypoxia-Ischemia in Preterm Fetal Sheep.

Melatonin (MLT) is an endogenous hormone that controls circadian cycle. MLT has additional important properties that make it appealing as a neuroprotective agent—it is a potent anti-oxidant, with anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties. MLT is safe for administration during pregnancy or to the newborn after birth, and can reduce white matter brain injury under conditions of chronic fetal hypoxia. Accordingly, in the current study, we examined whether an intermediate dose of MLT could restore white matter brain development when administered after an acute hypoxic ischemic (HI) insult in preterm fetal sheep. Fifteen fetal sheep at 95–98 days gestation were instrumented with femoral artery and vein catheters, and a silastic cuff placed around the umbilical cord. At 102 days gestation, the cuff was inflated, causing complete umbilical cord occlusion for 25 min in 10 fetuses, to induce acute severe HI. Five HI fetuses received intravenous MLT for 24 h beginning at 2 h after HI. The remaining five fetuses were administered saline alone. Ten days after HI, the fetal brain was collected from each animal and white and gray matter neuropathology assessed. HI caused a significant increase in apoptotic cell death (TUNEL+), activated microglia (Iba-1+), and oxidative stress (8-OHdG+) within the subventricular and subcortical white matter. HI reduced the total number of oligodendrocytes and CNPase+ myelin density. MLT administration following HI decreased apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress within the white matter. MLT had intermediate benefits for the developing white matter: it increased oligodendrocyte cell number within the periventricular white matter only, and improved CNPase+ myelin density within the subcortical but not the striatal white matter. MLT administration following HI was also associated with improved neuronal survival within the cortex. Neuropathology in preterm infants is complex and mediated by multiple mechanisms, including inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptotic pathways. Treatment with MLT presents a safe approach to neuroprotective therapy in preterm infants but appears to have brain region-specific benefits within the white matter.

Research of urinary patterns in patients with cervical spinal cord injury

Objective To investigate the urinary patterns in cervical spinal cord injury patients with different courses and degrees of injury. Methods A total of 49 patients with cervical spinal cord injury in the First Affiliated Hospital of PLA General Hospital from January 2014 to October 2016 were enrolled in this study using purposive sampling. Medical data and normal information of patients were recorded. A number of 5 hospitalized patients were interviewed face-to-face, while 44 patients were interviewed by telephone to record the urinary patterns and time of changing urination pattern. Results Indwelling catheter was the main urinary pattern and accounted for 31.0%-61.2% of patients. Patients with different injury degrees had different urinary patterns. Indwelling was the main urinary pattern of patients with complete cervical spinal cord injury and accounted for 42.9%; 14.3% of patients with complete cervical spinal cord injury could urinate by themselves. The main urinary pattern of patients with incomplete injury was self-urination, which accounted for 34.6%; there were 26.9% of these patients with indwelling catheterization. Conclusions The course and degree of injury affect the urinary pattern. Patients with cervical spinal cord injury should have individual urinary patterns to improve their bladder function and restore spontaneous urination so as to improve their quality of life to return to society. Key words: Spinal cord injury; Cervical; Urinary pattern

Antenatal dexamethasone before asphyxia promotes cystic neural injury in preterm fetal sheep by inducing hyperglycemia

Antenatal glucocorticoid therapy significantly improves the short-term systemic outcomes of prematurely born infants, but there is limited information available on their impact on neurodevelopmental outcomes in at-risk preterm babies exposed to perinatal asphyxia. Preterm fetal sheep (0.7 of gestation) were exposed to a maternal injection of 12 mg dexamethasone or saline followed 4 h later by asphyxia induced by 25 min of complete umbilical cord occlusion. In a subsequent study, fetuses received titrated glucose infusions followed 4 h later by asphyxia to examine the hypothesis that hyperglycemia mediated the effects of dexamethasone. Post-mortems were performed 7 days after asphyxia for cerebral histology. Maternal dexamethasone before asphyxia was associated with severe, cystic brain injury compared to diffuse injury after saline injection, with increased numbers of seizures, worse recovery of brain activity, and increased arterial glucose levels before, during, and after asphyxia. Glucose infusions before asphyxia replicated these adverse outcomes, with a strong correlation between greater increases in glucose before asphyxia and greater neural injury. These findings strongly suggest that dexamethasone exposure and hyperglycemia can transform diffuse injury into cystic brain injury after asphyxia in preterm fetal sheep.

Human umbilical cord derived matrix: Ascaffold suitable for tissue engineering application.

Human tissue derived natural extracellular matrix (ECM) has great potential in tissue engineering. We sought to isolate extracellular matrix derived from human umbilical cord and test its potential in tissue engineering. An enzymatic method was applied to isolate and solubilized complete human umbilical cord derived matrix (hUCM). The obtained solution was analyzed for growth factors, collagen and residual DNA contents, then used to coat 2D and 3D surfaces for cell culture application. The hUCM was successfully isolated with trypsin digestion to acquire a solution containing various growth factors and collagen but no residual DNA. This hUCM solution can form a coating on 2D and 3D substrates suitable cell culture. We developed a new matrix derived from human source that can be further used in tissue engineering.

Active physiological conservative management in traumatic spinal cord injuries – an evidence-based approach

The management of the traumatic spinal cord injury remains controversial. Guttmann demonstrated that with simultaneous attention to all medical and non-medical effects of the spinal cord injury, a significant number of patients recovered motor and sensory functions to ambulate and the majority were pain-free following conservative management. Active physiological conservative management of the spinal injury requires simultaneous scrupulous care of the injured spine together with; the multisystem neurogenic effects of the spinal cord injury on the respiratory, cardiovascular, urinary, gastrointestinal, dermatological, sexual and reproductive functions; the management of the associated psychological effects of paralysis from the early hours or days of injury as well as; the physical rehabilitation and modification of the environment. To date, there is no evidence to suggest that the surgical decompression and/or stabilisation of the neurologically impaired spinal cord injury patient is advantageous. This article considers the debates and evidence of surgical management including the effects of timing of the surgical decompression. Also addressed are the factors influencing decisions on management, prognostic indicators of recovery and natural history of complete and incomplete cord injuries. Traumatic biomechanical instability of the spine, physiological instability of the spinal cord, traumatic spinal canal encroachment and traumatic cord compression are also discussed. Early mobilisation, indications for surgery at the RJAH and economic considerations of spinal cord injuries are presented. The ultimate goals of the active physiological conservative management are to ensure maximum neurological recovery and independence, a pain-free and flexible spine, safe and convenient functioning of the various systems of the body with minimal inconvenience to patients and the prevention of complications.

Anterior Spinal Stabilization and Fusion in Cervical Spinal Trauma

Objective: It was to find out the efficacy and benefits of anterior cervical spinal stabilization procedu-res in cases of cervical trauma.Material and Methods: It is a prospective study of 30 cases of Cervical Spinal Trauma in which anterior cervical spinal stabilization and fusion was performed. Study span is three years i.e from July 2005 to June 2008 with follow up period of one year and it was carried out in the Department of Neurosurgery, Quaid-e-Azam Medical College / Bahawal Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur.Results: 30 cases of cervical spinal trauma were included in the this study. Age range was 15 years to 40 years. Twenty three (23) were males and seven (7)) were females with male to female ratio of 3.2:1. Most common cause of cervical spinal injury was road traffic accidents and most common site of traumatic involvement was C5/C6 cervical spinal level. All the patients were belonging to poor and middle socio-economic class. Nine (9) patients sustained complete cervical cord injury and they were quadriplegic and remaining twenty one (21) patients were quadripretic as a result of partial cervical cord injury. All patients were assessed clinically and radiologically. Plain X-rays of cervical spine, AP and LAT. views, C-T scan and MRI of cervical spine were obtained to get information of injuries in detail. In almost all the cases, anterior two columns of spine were disrupted resulting in instability and cord compression. In all the cases cervical traction was applied to get alignment of the cervical column first and then anterior fixation and fusion was performed. All patients were mobilized early after surgery.Outcome: Nine (9) cases with complete cord injury did not improve neurologically after surgery. Eleven (11) patients with partial cord injury and power of G 3/5 before surgery improved to G 4+/5 after surgery and ten (10) patients with power G 2/5 before surgery improve to G 3/5 after surgery. All patients were out of bed early, to prevent the complications of being and ridden for long time.Conclusion: Anterior cervical spinal fixation and fusion is an excellent way of cervical spinal stabilization in cases of cervical trauma. Patients improve Neurologically with these procedures and they are mobilized early from the beds to prevent complications of being bed ridden for longer periods of time.