After a traumatic injury, performing surgery to take pressure off the spine soon after the event could prevent or reverse some of the secondary damage caused by swelling and decreased blood flow to the injured spine.
However, strong evidence to support early spinal surgery is lacking, mainly because the available study data cannot be easily compared, as explained in a review of this controversial field published in Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the Journal of Neurotrauma website.
Biphasic Electrical Stimulation: New Hope for Spinal Cord Injury Patients
Biphasic Electrical stimulation (BES, a procedure that doesn't involve the use of chemicals, could prevent cell apoptosis in stem-cell transplant therapy, a new study suggests
Advertisement
Joost van Middendorp, Allard Hosman, and Suhail Doi, Stoke Mandeville Hospital (Aylesbury, UK), University of Oxford, UK, University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia), and Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center (the Netherlands), performed a systematic review of the literature on spinal decompression surgery following traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).
Although debate continues over the effects of the timing of surgery, the authors found that "early" compared to "late" spinal surgery was associated with significantly greater motor and neurological improvement and shorter length of hospital stay. As the authors report, though, the evidence supporting early spinal surgery "lack robustness" due to various sources of bias within the studies and heterogeneity within and between the studies. For example, the studies being compared include patients with various severities and levels of spinal cord injuries.
![Chinese Herbal Medicine Improves Spinal Cord Injury Outcomes in Rats]( "Chinese Herbal Medicine Improves Spinal Cord Injury Outcomes in Rats")
A new study demonstrates that Chinese herbal medicine Ji-Sui-Kang (JSK), given systemically for three weeks after injury in rats, improved locomotor function, reduced tissue damage, and preserved the structure of neural cells compared to control rats.
They report their findings in "The Effects of the Timing of Spinal Surgery after Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis."
"This timely article contributes additional data and discussion to the general topic of decompression surgery as an effective strategy to protect against traumatic SCI," says W. Dalton Dietrich, III, PhD, Deputy Editor of Journal of Neurotrauma and Kinetic Concepts Distinguished Chair in Neurosurgery, Professor of Neurological Surgery, Neurology and Cell Biology, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. "This well done meta-analysis of published data should therefore be of great interest to the readership of the Journal, including spinal surgeons."
Source: Eurekalert
Chinese Herbal Medicine Improves Spinal Cord Injury Outcomes in Rats
A new study demonstrates that Chinese herbal medicine Ji-Sui-Kang (JSK), given systemically for three weeks after injury in rats, improved locomotor function, reduced tissue damage, and preserved the structure of neural cells compared to control rats.
Advertisement
They report their findings in "The Effects of the Timing of Spinal Surgery after Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis."
"This timely article contributes additional data and discussion to the general topic of decompression surgery as an effective strategy to protect against traumatic SCI," says W. Dalton Dietrich, III, PhD, Deputy Editor of Journal of Neurotrauma and Kinetic Concepts Distinguished Chair in Neurosurgery, Professor of Neurological Surgery, Neurology and Cell Biology, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. "This well done meta-analysis of published data should therefore be of great interest to the readership of the Journal, including spinal surgeons."
Source: Eurekalert
Degenerative Changes in Spinal Cord Take Place Within 40 Days of Spinal Cord Injury
A joint study reveals that the degenerative changes in the functional state and structure of spinal cord and brain occurs within 40 days of acute spinal cord injury
Advertisement
 New Options for Stroke ALS, Spinal Cord Injury Opened By Discovery of 'executioner' ProteinAccording to a study, oxidative stress turns a protein that normally protects healthy cells into their executioner. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Readings
Latest Research News
The AI method shows promise in identifying imaging biomarkers for diagnosing ADHD.
Diagnosed autistic individuals showed increased premature mortality in the UK, highlighting urgent needs to address associated inequalities.
Study reveals a correlation between hearing impairment and distinct brain region variances, contributing to dementia.
Financial impact of caring for individuals with neurodegenerative disorders reaches hundreds of billions annually in the United States.
Experts emphasize that addressing the skills gap demands immediate attention and innovative solutions, including education, re-training, and significant time investment.