Neurological issues

The case histories of two patients who had had a spinal cord injury (SCI) were selected by the senior author and sent to four experts in the field of SCI. Based on the 1992 American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) and International Medical Society of Paraplegia (IMSOP) standards, the four participants plus the senior author recorded the motor and sensory scores, the ASIA impairment scale (AIS), the neurological level (NL) and the zone of partial preservation (ZPP). Several minor scoring errors occurred among the participants, especially with motor scores when key muscles could not be tested due to pain, or external immobilization devices. Difficulties with interpretation occurred with the motor levels and the ZPP for the patient with a complete injury. This exercise points to the need for all examiners of SCI patients to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the standards and to use the motor and sensory scores to arrive at a NL and ZPP. They also indicate a need to revise the standards to clarify the determination of sensory levels and how to score muscles whose strength is inhibited by pain.