Localization of sensory levels in traumatic quadriplegia by segmental somatosensory evoked potentials.

We studied the usefulness of cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) elicited by segmental sensory stimulation in traumatic quadriplegia. By stimulating sensory branches of musculocutaneous (C5, C6), median (C7, C8), and ulnar nerves (C8), we studied 10 chronic traumatic quadriplegics and compared them with age-matched controls. In all traumatic quadriplegics tested, the SEP abnormalities provided a direct linear relationship with clinical localization of posterior column sensory levels. Our findings suggest that segmental SEPs can enhance the clinical assessment of posterior column sensory levels in chronic traumatic quadriplegia. Further studies may find this technique useful in acute quadriplegia, particularly during surgical monitoring.