Early surgery for thoracolumbar spinal cord injury: initial experience from a developing spinal cord injury centre in...

The spinal cord injury centre of Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Andhra Pradesh, India has been functioning now for 8 months and offers its services to the population of 80 million in the state. To date, 92 patients with a spinal cord injury have been treated; 51 had a thoracolumbar spinal injury. This report presents the results of the management of these 51 patients. Preoperatively both CT and MRI were performed and the radiological findings were correlated with outcome. Twenty five had a thoracic and 26 a lumber location. Twenty nine patients underwent surgical treatment (15 thoracic and 14 lumbar) and the others were treated conservatively (10 thoracic and 12 lumbar). All these operations were carried out within 2 weeks following trauma, and methylprednisolone therapy was instituted in those who reached the hospital early. Contraindications for surgery included a delay in admission of more than 3 weeks following trauma, a focus of sepsis, bedsores, a generalised bone disorder such as osteopenia, and medical illnesses. Transpedicular screw-plate fixation was performed in 27 patients, and two patients underwent decompressive laminectomy and interlaminar bone and wire fixation. Delayed spinal decompression was offered to one patient to relieve radiculopathy. Fracture-dislocation spinal injury and those with transection of the spinal cord had the worst outcome, whilst patients with a wedge compression fracture and cord oedema fared better. Operated cases had a shorter hospital stay, and complications of immobilisation were limited. Positive psychological influence of mobilisation and early acclimatisation to the altered style of living with their disability were the most significant outcomes following surgery.