Renal and bladder functions in patients after spinal cord injuries

Thirty-eight patients with spinal cord lesions, 22 recent and 16 sustained more than three years previously, were investigated with intravenous pyelography, chrome EDTA clearance, cystoscopy and urodynamic studies. Analyses of bladder biopsies for tissue concentrations of nor-adrenaline and occurrence of acetylcholinesterase staining of nerves were also performed. Despite high incidence of fairly mild infections and trabeculation of the bladder, renal function was normal in most patients. Apart from incontinence, stone formation and recurrent urinary tract infections were the most common complications. The concentrations of noradrenaline and the numbers of acetylcholinesterase-stained nerves in bladder tissue specimens did not differ from control findings. The organization of the nerve structures did not vary with time after the injury, suggesting unchanged adrenergic and cholinergic innervation.