Etiology and Outcomes of Spinal Cord Infarct: A Case Series From a Level 1 Trauma Center.
Global Spine J
; 10(6): 735-740, 2020 Sep.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32707011
ABSTRACT
STUDY DESIGN:
Retrospective study.OBJECTIVES:
To evaluate the demographics, prevalence, etiology, severity, and outcomes of spinal cord injuries (SCIs) resulting from ischemic infarction.METHODS:
All patients with SCI and a diagnosis of cord infarct who were admitted to the inpatient rehabilitation unit at a level 1 trauma center from January 2003 to January 2014 were identified using an administrative billing database. Outcomes measures were evaluated.RESULTS:
Among 685 unique SCI patients who were identified, 30 (4.4%) had SCI due to spinal ischemic infarction. The mean age was 59 years (range 17-80 years). Fifty percent of patients had ASIA (American Spinal Injury Association) A and B severity. Most common causes were the following 6 (20%) abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repairs, 6 (20%) arteriovenous fistulas, and 6 (20%) with an unknown cause. Surgical complications led to 4 (13.3%) cord infarcts and was associated with a higher severity of injury (P = .02) compared with other etiologies. Other causes included systemic hypotension, AAA rupture, trauma, diabetic ketoacidosis, and after radiation therapy. At follow-up, 6 (20%) of patients were able to ambulate normally without assistance, 7 (23.3%) were ambulating with assistance, and 17 (56.7%) were still wheelchair bound. Clinical improvement in ambulatory status was noted in 6 (20%) patients and was associated with less severe initial injury (P = .02).CONCLUSIONS:
While the existing literature associates spinal cord infarction with aortic pathologies and surgery, these caused less than 30% of cases, while nonaortic surgical complications were associated with the most severe injuries. Outcomes were worse than previously reported in the literature.
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
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En
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article