PURPOSE: To determine whether magnetic resonance (MR) imaging quantification of cervical spinal cord damage improves the prediction of motor recovery after spinal cord injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The extent of cervical spinal cord injury was measured on MR images obtained in 104 patients (aged 17-70 years) within 72 hours of spinal cord injury. The effects of hemorrhage and edema length on motor outcome were examined for at least 12 months. RESULTS: Patients with spinal cord hemorrhage had significantly lower upper and lower extremity motor scores at the time of injury and at 12 months than did patients without hemorrhage (P < .001). There was little recovery of lower extremity function even in patients without hemorrhage. Upper extremity motor function improved significantly in all patients (P < .001); patients without hemorrhage showed the largest improvements. The motor recovery rates for patients without hemorrhage were 0.74 (upper extremities; range, 0-1) and 0.55 (lower extremities; range, 0-1); those for patients with hemorrhage were 0.31 (range, 0-1) and 0.091 (range, 0-1). Stepwise multiple regression analyses indicated that MR information on hemorrhage and the length of edema increases the ability to predict clinical outcome by 16%-33% over that with initial clinical scores alone. CONCLUSION: An initial MR imaging evaluation of the spinal cord after spinal cord injury provides supplemental prognostic information on the recovery of motor function in the upper and lower extremities.
PURPOSE: To determine whether magnetic resonance (MR) imaging quantification of cervical spinal cord damage improves the prediction of motor recovery after spinal cord injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The extent of cervical spinal cord injury was measured on MR images obtained in 104 patients (aged 17-70 years) within 72 hours of spinal cord injury. The effects of hemorrhage and edema length on motor outcome were examined for at least 12 months. RESULTS:Patients with spinal cord hemorrhage had significantly lower upper and lower extremity motor scores at the time of injury and at 12 months than did patients without hemorrhage (P < .001). There was little recovery of lower extremity function even in patients without hemorrhage. Upper extremity motor function improved significantly in all patients (P < .001); patients without hemorrhage showed the largest improvements. The motor recovery rates for patients without hemorrhage were 0.74 (upper extremities; range, 0-1) and 0.55 (lower extremities; range, 0-1); those for patients with hemorrhage were 0.31 (range, 0-1) and 0.091 (range, 0-1). Stepwise multiple regression analyses indicated that MR information on hemorrhage and the length of edema increases the ability to predict clinical outcome by 16%-33% over that with initial clinical scores alone. CONCLUSION: An initial MR imaging evaluation of the spinal cord after spinal cord injury provides supplemental prognostic information on the recovery of motor function in the upper and lower extremities.
Authors: F Biering-Sørensen; S Alai; K Anderson; S Charlifue; Y Chen; M DeVivo; A E Flanders; L Jones; N Kleitman; A Lans; V K Noonan; J Odenkirchen; J Steeves; K Tansey; E Widerström-Noga; L B Jakeman Journal: Spinal Cord Date: 2015-02-10 Impact factor: 2.772
Authors: James D Guest; John D Steeves; M J Mulcahey; Linda A T Jones; Frank Rockhold; Rϋediger Rupp; John L K Kramer; Steven Kirshblum; Andrew Blight; Daniel Lammertse Journal: Spinal Cord Date: 2020-09-16 Impact factor: 2.772
Authors: J Haefeli; M C Mabray; W D Whetstone; S S Dhall; J Z Pan; P Upadhyayula; G T Manley; J C Bresnahan; M S Beattie; A R Ferguson; J F Talbott Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 2016-12-22 Impact factor: 3.825