Related Experiment Videos
Colonic transit time after spinal cord injury
B E Leduc1, M Giasson, M Favreau-Ethier
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Institut de Readaptation de Montréal, QC, Canada.
The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine
|November 14, 1997
Summary
Spinal cord injury significantly increases colonic transit time (CTT), impacting gut motility. Further research is needed to understand the clinical relevance and connection to intestinal symptoms in these patients.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Neurology
- Radiology
Background:
- Spinal cord injury (SCI) frequently leads to gastrointestinal dysfunction, affecting colonic motility.
- Assessing colonic transit time (CTT) is crucial for understanding and managing these motility disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure colonic transit time (CTT) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) using a specific radiographic technique.
- To determine if SCI significantly alters CTT.
Main Methods:
- Colonic transit time (CTT) was assessed in 30 spinal cord-injured patients (ASIA A and B) using Chaussade's technique with abdominal radiographs.
- Patients ingested 20 radiomarkers daily for three days, with abdominal films taken to track marker movement.
Main Results:
- A statistically significant increase in total CTT was observed (p = 0.0001).
- Significant increases were also found in segmental CTT for both the right colon (p = 0.0004) and the left colon (p = 0.0001).
- The study achieved comparable results to other radiologic CTT measurement techniques using an average of only 2.3 abdominal films per patient.
Conclusions:
- Spinal cord injury is associated with significantly prolonged colonic transit time.
- The clinical significance of these findings and their correlation with intestinal symptoms require further investigation.