Background: Spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality (SCIWORA) is a rare traumatic myelopathy. Although surgery is one of the most important treatments, the surgery for SCIWORA is controversial, especially the time of surgery is a topic of controversy. Here, we investigate the effects of difference in duration from injury to surgery on the outcome of SCIWORA. Methods: This retrospective study was performed in all patients with spinal cord injury admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2013 to April 2017. Fifty-seven patients who met the study requirements were divided into 3 groups according to the duration from injury to surgery. Group A (surgery within 3 days of injury) had 18 patients, group B (surgery within 3-7 days) had 18 patients, and group C (surgery later than 7 days) had 21 patients. All the groups were compared with Mann-Whitney U test; the functional improvement of spinal cord was compared and analyzed using the ASIA sports score and ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS). Results: There was a significant improvement in the long-term AIS (final follow-up) in all the 3 groups compared to before surgery. The final follow-up recovery rate of group C was worse than group A and group B. The curative effect of operation within 7 days was significantly better than the surgery done 7 days later. The recovery rate of group C was worse than group A and B. The ASIA sports score showed that recovery was quicker in the early stage and slow in the later stage. Conclusions: The optimal schedule of surgical treatment was 3-7 days after injury, which can significantly improve the short-term and long-term follow-up effects. Longer the time to surgery from the time of injury, the worse was the prognosis.

BackgroundCervical facet dislocation is the anterior displacement of one cervical vertebral body on another. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of skull traction through an anterior cervical approach in the treatment of severe lower cervical facet dislocation without vertebral body fracture.Material/MethodsForty subjects with severe lower cervical facet dislocation, without vertebral body fracture, were treated between February 2010 and December 2013. Road traffic accident was the primary cause of injury. Patients presented with dislocated segments in C3–C4 (n=4), C4–C5 (n=4), C5–C6 (n=12), and C6–C7 (n=20). Twenty-six patients had unilateral facet dislocation, and 14 patients had bilateral facet dislocation. Spinal injuries were graded according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale and included grade A (eight cases), grade B (six cases), grade C (six cases), grade D (12 cases), and grade E (eight cases). The mean follow-up time was 4.2 years.ResultsAll procedures were completed successfully, with no major complications. Postoperative X-rays showed satisfactory height for the cervical intervertebral space and recovery of the vertebral sequence. Bone fusion was completed within four to six months after surgery. Surgery significantly improved neurological function in all patients.ConclusionsSkull traction and an anterior approach can be used to successfully treat severe lower cervical facet dislocation, obtaining complete decompression, good reduction, and maintenance of intervertebral height with retention of the physiological curvature of the cervical spine.

Background: Two-level symptomatic adjacent segment disease (ASD) is rarely reported, but remains a challenge after anterior cervical arthrodesis. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical and radiological outcomes of repeat anterior and posterior decompression and fusion procedures for two-level symptomatic ASD. Methods: Thirty-two patients with two-level symptomatic ASD were retrospectively reviewed and underwent repeat anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) or posterior decompression and fusion (PDF). Clinical outcomes (JOA, NDI, and VAS scores), perioperative parameters (blood loss, operation time, and length of hospital stay), radiological parameters (cervical lordosis and ROM), and complications were compared. Results: Eighteen patients underwent ACDF, and 14 patients underwent PDF. Patients who underwent PDF were older, more frequently presented with myelopathic deficits, and were fused at more levels. Patients who underwent ACDF experienced significantly shorter surgery time (p < 0.001), lower blood loss (p < 0.001), and reduced hospital stay (p = 0.002). Both groups exhibited significant increases in JOA scores and decreases in NDI and both neck pain and arm pain VAS scores (p < 0.05), but patients who underwent PDF had significantly higher NDI scores (p = 0.012), neck pain VAS scores (p = 0.019), loss of cervical lordosis (p < 0.001), and loss of ROM (p = 0.001). Three patients developed dysphagia in the ACDF group, and two patients had C5 root palsy and one had hematoma in the PDF group. Recurrent ASD after the second operation occurred in two patients in the ACDF group but no patients in the PDF group. Conclusions: For patients with two-level symptomatic ASD, both anterior and posterior decompression and fusion were effective for improving the neurological function. For patients with radicular symptoms, ACDF had less surgical trauma, better restoration of lordosis, and less postoperative neck pain, but higher chance of recurrent ASD. PDF was an effective surgical option for older patients with myelopathy developing in adjacent segments.

Background At present, surgery is the primary clinical treatment for SCIWORA patients, but conservative treatment still plays an important role in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury. As an important index of cervical spine degeneration, cervical curvature has an impact on the prognosis of spinal cord injury patients. This paper studied the prognosis of conservatively treated patients with SCIWORA and the correlation between cervical curvature and neurological prognosis. Methods A retrospective study was conducted in all the patients with SCI admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University between January 2017 and June 2020. Data were recorded in 106 eligible patients, including sex, age, injury factors, Cobb angle, CCI, CSA, and ASIA motor and sensory scores. The Wilcoxon sign rank sum test was used to analyze the data postinjury and at the 1-year follow-up. Pearson correlation analysis was performed for the Cobb angle, CCI and CSA. Simple linear regression analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were performed for each group of variables. Results The Wilcoxon signed rank sum test confirmed that the Cobb angle, the CCI and the CSA of the patients were not significantly different at the 1-year follow-up when compared with the postinjury values, and the ASIA motor and sensory scores were significantly improved. The Pearson correlation analysis showed correlations among the Cobb angle, the CCI and the CSA. Simple linear regression analysis and multiple linear regression analysis showed that the nerve recovery rate was negatively correlated with age and was positively correlated with the Cobb angle. Conclusion Conservative treatment of incomplete SCIWORA can achieve a good prognosis. There is a clear correlation between the Cobb angle, CCI and CSA, and the Cobb angle, as an important influencing factor, needs to be considered. For SCIWORA patients undergoing nonsurgical treatment, improving cervical curvature is beneficial to the prognosis of patients. Age negatively affects the neurological prognosis.

Background At present, surgery is the primary clinical treatment for SCIWORA patients, but conservative treatment still plays an important role in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury. As an important index of cervical spine degeneration, cervical curvature has an impact on the prognosis of spinal cord injury patients. This paper studied the prognosis of conservatively treated patients with SCIWORA and the correlation between cervical curvature and neurological prognosis. Methods A retrospective study was conducted in all the patients with SCI admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University between January 2017 and June 2020. Data were recorded in 106 eligible patients, including sex, age, injury factors, Cobb angle, CCI, CSA, and ASIA motor and sensory scores. The Wilcoxon sign rank sum test was used to analyze the data postinjury and at the 1-year follow-up. Pearson correlation analysis was performed for the Cobb angle, CCI and CSA. Simple linear regression analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were performed for each group of variables. Results The Wilcoxon signed rank sum test confirmed that the Cobb angle, the CCI and the CSA of the patients were not significantly different at the 1-year follow-up when compared with the postinjury values, and the ASIA motor and sensory scores were significantly improved. The Pearson correlation analysis showed correlations among the Cobb angle, the CCI and the CSA. Simple linear regression analysis and multiple linear regression analysis showed that the nerve recovery rate was negatively correlated with age and was positively correlated with the Cobb angle. Conclusion Conservative treatment of incomplete SCIWORA can achieve a good prognosis. There is a clear correlation between the Cobb angle, CCI and CSA, and the Cobb angle, as an important influencing factor, needs to be considered. For SCIWORA patients undergoing nonsurgical treatment, improving cervical curvature is beneficial to the prognosis of patients. Age negatively affects the neurological prognosis.