Effects of the Second National Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study of high-dose methylprednisolone therapy on acute cervical spinal cord injury-results in spinal injuries center.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective single-center study.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the recovery of motor function and the early complications in patients with acute cervical spinal cord injury after receiving a high dose of methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MPSS) within 8 hours of injury.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

High-dose MPSS therapy has been demonstrated to improve the neurologic recovery in patients with acute spinal cord injury. However, it remains a controversial treatment.

METHODS

Seventy patients were included in this study: 37 in the MPSS group who were treated with MPSS within 8 hours of their injury according to the Second National Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study protocol, and 33 in non-MPSS group who were not administered with MPSS. Improvements in the American Spinal Injury Association motor score were compared between the MPSS group and the non-MPSS group. In patients with complete motor loss at admission and follow-up periods, improvements of myotomal levels between the MPSS (n = 15) and non-MPSS groups (n = 21) were compared. Early complications within 6 weeks of high-dose MPSS therapy were compared with those of no MPSS therapy.

RESULTS

Among the patients with incomplete paralysis at admission, the American Spinal Injury Association motor scores in the MPSS group were improved more significantly than those in the non-MPSS group at 6 weeks and 6 months after injury. Meanwhile, among the patients with complete paralysis at admission, the patients in the MPSS group did not show significantly more change in motor score than those in the non-MPSS group. Improvement in myotomal level had no significant difference between the MPSS and non-MPSS groups. The MPSS group had 10 patients with early complications, while the non-MPSS group had 14. The differences between the 2 groups showed no statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

MPSS should be administered to patients with incomplete cervical spinal cord injury according to the Second National Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study protocol.