Subacute Posttraumatic Ascending Myelopathy After Thoracolumbar Spinal Cord Injury

Subacute posttraumatic ascending myelopathy (SPAM) is defined as neurological deterioration ascending four or more levels above the initial injury level and occurring within the initial days to weeks after spinal cord injury (SCI).

SPAM is a rare complication of spinal cord injury with an incidence of 0.42% to 1% affecting young to middle-aged male patients.

Several hypotheses have been put forth to explain SPAM, but the exact pathomechanism remains elusive.

Treatment guidelines for this rare entity are uncertain and still to be developed.

The current prognosis of SPAM is poor, with a mortality rate of 10.34%.