Balanced bladder function in spinal cord injury patients.

A urodynamic assessment was done on 55 patients with spinal cord injuries treated with intermittent catheterization and therapy for autonomic dysreflexia and external sphincter spasm. While 95 per cent of the patients with upper motor neuron lesions achieved balanced bladder function they were not necessarily free of a catheter. The results obtained in male patients compare favorably to those reported from specialized spinal cord injury centers. Female spinal cord injured patients generally were unable to achieve a catheter-free status.