Journal of neurosurgery. Spine
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Primary outcome measures for the upper limb in trials concerning human spinal cord injury (SCI) need to distinguish between functional and neurological changes and require satisfying psychometric properties for clinical application. ⋯ The GRASSP was found to demonstrate reliability, construct validity, and concurrent validity for use as a standardized upper-limb impairment measure for individuals with complete or incomplete tetraplegia. Responsiveness (follow-up from onset to 1 year postinjury) is currently being tested in international studies (in North America and Europe). The GRASSP can be administered early after injury, thus making it a tool that can be administered in acute care (in the ICU), rehabilitation, and outpatient clinics.
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Comparative Study
Hybrid dynamic stabilization: a biomechanical assessment of adjacent and supraadjacent levels of the lumbar spine.
The object of this study was to evaluate the effect of hybrid dynamic stabilization on adjacent levels of the lumbar spine. ⋯ The dynamic stabilization system displayed stability characteristics similar to a solid, all-metal construct. Its addition of the supraadjacent level (L3-4) to the fusion (L4-5) did protect the adjacent level from excessive motion. However, it essentially transformed a 1-level lumbar fusion into a 2-level lumbar fusion, with exponential transfer of motion to the fewer remaining discs.
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Multicenter Study
Riluzole for the treatment of acute traumatic spinal cord injury: rationale for and design of the NACTN Phase I clinical trial.
In the immediate period after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) a variety of secondary injury mechanisms combine to gradually expand the initial lesion size, potentially leading to diminished neurological outcomes at long-term follow-up. Riluzole, a benzothiazole drug, which has neuroprotective properties based on sodium channel blockade and mitigation of glutamatergic toxicity, is currently an approved drug that attenuates the extent of neuronal degeneration in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Moreover, several preclinical SCI studies have associated riluzole administration with improved functional outcomes and increased neural tissue preservation. ⋯ Currently, a Phase I trial evaluating the safety and pharmacokinetic profile of riluzole in human SCI patients is being conducted by the North American Clinical Trials Network (NACTN) for Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury. The current review summarizes the existing preclinical and clinical literature on riluzole, provides a detailed description of the Phase I trial, and suggests potential opportunities for future investigation. Clinical trial registration no.: NCT00876889.
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The purpose of this paper was to systematically review and critically appraise the evidence for whether there are differences in outcomes or recovery after thoracic spinal cord injuries (SCIs) based on the spinal level, the timing of intervention, or cause of SCI. ⋯ The overall strength of evidence for all outcomes reported is low. Definitive conclusions should not be drawn regarding the prognosis for outcome and recovery after thoracic SCI. From a physiological standpoint, additional methodologically rigorous studies that take into consideration various levels of injury in more anatomically and physiologically relevant form are needed. Use of validated, comprehensive outcomes tools are important to improve our understanding of the impact of thoracic SCI and aid in examining factors in recovery from thoracic SCI.