S-1-08-01
FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME OF ELDERLY NON-TRAUMATIC SPINAL CORD INJURY
Kazuya Mizuochi, Akemi Sakugawa, Norihiko Ando (Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan)
Purpose: To examine functional outcome of patients with non- traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), especially of elderly patients who underwent inpatient rehabilitation. Method : A 6-year review of SCI patients. Patient's demographic data and functional assessments were collected retrospectively. Result : 219 SCI patients were treated for 6 years. Of 219 patients, 114 were paraplegics and 105 were tetraplegics, mean age was 56.5, 71.2% were over 50 years of age. 87.7% were non-traumatic SCI and the leading Cause was spinal cord compression due to spondylotic spinal disease, ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament and disc herniation. Among 202 incomplete SCI patients, the most common ASIA Impairment Scale was D (56.4%) followed by C (34.7%), B (6.9%). Of 52 patients who admitted to rehabilitation ward, 67.3% were revealed functional recovery but only 3 patients could walk outdoors at discharge. Conclusion : According to rapid growth of elderly population, the majority of SCI patients have become elderly people. Clinical characteristics of these patients are non-traumatic cause, incomplete injury, longer rehabilitative treatment, limited functional recovery, and difficult social adaptation.
S-1-08-02
THE CHANGES OF CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTION AT DIFFERENT LEVEL OF SPINAL CORD INJURY DURING EARLY STATE OF INJURY
(University of Ulsan, College of Medicine / Asian medical center, Seoul, Korea)
Purpose: This study is designed to investigate the changes of cardiovascular function at the different level of spinal cord injury during early stage of spinal cord injury. Method : In a retrospective study, 62 charts of acute spinal cord injured patients were reviewed. Their pulses and blood pressures were analyzed.
Result: 37% of participants showed bradycardia and 40% of them hypotension. These bradycardia and hypotension persisted for 1 days to 8 days. The incidences of bradycardia and hypotension were higher in cervical SCI group than those of thoracolumbar group. These changes in cervical SCI group occurred earlier and lasted longer than those of thoracolumbar group.
Conclusion : This investigation provides a valuable information with a direct correlation between the level of spinal cord injury and the changes of the cardiovascular function.
S-1-08-03
NEUROLOGIC RECOVERY FOLLOWING SPINAL CORD INJURY
Robert L. Waters, Rodney H. Adkins, Joy S. Yakura, Ien Sie, and Sus Yokayama (Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center, Downey, California, USA)
Purpose: Determine the natural history of neurologic recovery following acute spinal cord injury (SCI) and correlate recovery with the level and completeness of SCI, etiology of injury, type of fracture and surgical treatment.
Method: Neurological recovery was prospectively measured serially in 269 subjections using standards for motor and sensory scoring developed by the American Spinal Cord Injury Association.
Result: The amount of motor and sensory recovery was strongly correlated with the level and completeness of SCI. Motor strength at one month was highly predictive of functional outcome at one year. Etiology and fracture type correlated to the amount of the initial neurological deficit: those injuries severely disruptive of the spinal canal were more likely to result in complete SCI. However, neither etiology of injury, type of fracture or type of surgical treatment had a statistically significant influence on the amount of motor recovery at one year in patient subgroups sorted by level and completeness of SCI.
Conclusion: Neurologic recovery following SCI is highly dependent on the level and completeness of SCI, however, the amount of motor recovery between one month and one year is independent of etiology, type of fracture or surgical treatment.
