Progress In Clinical Research On Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Without Radiographic Abnormality

The cervical spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality refers to the acute cervical spinal cord injury which the cervical trauma without fracture and dislocation leads to. Injury to the cervical spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality often occurs in children. The injury mechanisms are unclear. A complete series of cervical spine plain films and CT scan reveal no fracture or subluxation, and MRI reveals' radiographic evidence of spinal cord injury. The clinical manifestation varies widely, and the most common injury pattern is the central cord syndrome. The clinical treatment is divided into operative treatment and conservative treatment, and controversy remains regarding the appropriate treatment options.. This article explores the clinical treatment on the cervical spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality .Materials and methodsFifty-four cases with cervical spinal cord injury without fracture anddislocation were retrospectively analyzed and divided into operative treatment group (n=24, male 20 cases, female 4 cases, age equally 47.2 years ) and conservative treatment group(n=30, male 24 cases, female 6 cases, age equally 51.2 years). JOA(Japanse Orthopaedic Association)scores at injury and during follow-up were recorded to make a comparison between operative treatment group and conservative treatment group before and after treatment. According to the time of surgery ,twenty-four cases who had operation were divided into A group(<7days)and B group(>7days), JOA scores at injury and during follow-up were recorded to make a comparison between A group and B group before and after operation.ResultsJOA scores 6 months after treatment were 2.57 + 0.77 in the conservative treatment group and 3.83+0.84 in the operative treatment group. JOA scores 12 months after treatment were 3.46 + 0.81 in the conservative treatment group and 5.20+0.94 in the operative treatment group. There was a significant difference statistically between both groups through t test (P<0.01). JOA scores 6 months after operative treatment were 4.89 + 0.87 in the group A and 2.90 + 0.79 in the group B. There was a significant difference statistically between group A and group B through t test (P<0.01).ConclusionsThe operative treatment promises better outcome than the conservative treatment. The shorter the lapse between the injury and operation, the better the effect.