The aim of this study was to determine whether early surgical treatment results in better neurological recovery 12 months after injury than late surgical treatment in patients with acute traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI). Patients with tSCI requiring surgical spinal decompression presenting to 17 centres in Europe were recruited. Depending on the timing of decompression, patients were divided into early (≤ 12 hours after injury) and late (> 12 hours and < 14 days after injury) groups. The American Spinal Injury Association neurological (ASIA) examination was performed at baseline (after injury but before decompression) and at 12 months. The primary endpoint was the change in Lower Extremity Motor Score (LEMS) from baseline to 12 months.Aims
Methods
A total of 11 patients with combined traumatic injuries of the brachial plexus and spinal cord were reviewed retrospectively. Brachial plexus paralysis in such dual injuries tends to be diagnosed and treated late and the prognosis is usually poor. The associated injuries, which were all on the same side as the plexus lesion, were to the head (nine cases), shoulder girdle (five), thorax (nine) and upper limb (seven). These other injuries were responsible for the delayed diagnosis of brachial plexus paralysis and the poor prognosis was probably because of the delay in starting treatment and the severity of the associated injuries. When such injuries are detected in patients with
