Background:
This study evaluated how the neurological outcome in patients operated on cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) was positively influenced by ultra-early surgery (UES).
Methods:
Between 2010 and 2017, 81 patients with traumatic cervical SCI were assigned to the UES group (<12 h after injury; UES) and ES group (surgery between 12 and 48 h after injury; ES). Additional variables evaluated for the two groups included; age, sex, comorbidities charlson comorbidity index (CCI), level of trauma, type of fracture, preoperative and ASIA scores, pre- and post-operative neuroradiological examinations, surgical approaches, and complications.
Results:
Forty-seven of 81 (58.02%) patients exhibited improved neurological function 12 months postoperatively; better outcomes were observed in the UES (29 of 40 [72.5%]) versus ES groups (18 of 41 [43.9%]) (P = 0,009). For the 26 patients with complete cervical SCI (ASIA A), ultra-early surgical decompression was associated with significantly greater neurological improvement versus ES (61.53% vs. 7.69%; P = 0.003). Further, more neurological improvement correlated with the younger age, better ASIA grade at admission, and ultra-early surgical timing (< 12 h) both in the univariate and multivariate analysis (P = 0.037, P = 0.017, and P = 0.005, respectively), while CCI was correlated with improvement only in the univariate analysis (P = 0.005).
Conclusion:
Ultra-early surgical timing in SCI patients appeared to be the most important factor determining the extent of postoperative neurological improvement, particularly regarding motor function recovery.
Early versus Delayed Decompression for Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: Results of the Surgical Timing in Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study (STASCIS)
