Spinal cord injury: prognostic indicators

A retrospective analysis of 70 patients with closed traumatic incomplete injuries of the spinal cord was performed. Of those presenting with motor sparing, as minimal as muscle flicker, 86 per cent recovered useful motor function. Of those presenting with spinothalamic sensory sparing, as minimal as unilateral sacral sparing, 71 per cent recovered to a similar functional level. While the patients presenting with preservation of only posterior column sensory sparing had the worst prognosis, some still showed important improvement. Meticulous neurological assessment within 72 h of the injury can localize the tract spared and can help with the prognosis in those patients with incomplete lesions.