Browsing by Author "Wilson, Jefferson R"
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Item Open Access A clinical prediction model for long-term functional outcome after traumatic spinal cord injury based on acute clinical and imaging factors.(Journal of neurotrauma, 2012-09) Wilson, Jefferson R; Grossman, Robert G; Frankowski, Ralph F; Kiss, Alexander; Davis, Aileen M; Kulkarni, Abhaya V; Harrop, James S; Aarabi, Bizhan; Vaccaro, Alexander; Tator, Charles H; Dvorak, Marcel; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Harkema, Susan; Guest, James D; Fehlings, Michael GTo improve clinicians' ability to predict outcome after spinal cord injury (SCI) and to help classify patients within clinical trials, we have created a novel prediction model relating acute clinical and imaging information to functional outcome at 1 year. Data were obtained from two large prospective SCI datasets. Functional independence measure (FIM) motor score at 1 year follow-up was the primary outcome, and functional independence (score ≥ 6 for each FIM motor item) was the secondary outcome. A linear regression model was created with the primary outcome modeled relative to clinical and imaging predictors obtained within 3 days of injury. A logistic model was then created using the dichotomized secondary outcome and the same predictor variables. Model validation was performed using a bootstrap resampling procedure. Of 729 patients, 376 met the inclusion criteria. The mean FIM motor score at 1 year was 62.9 (±28.6). Better functional status was predicted by less severe initial American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale grade, and by an ASIA motor score >50 at admission. In contrast, older age and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal characteristics consistent with spinal cord edema or hemorrhage predicted worse functional outcome. The linear model predicting FIM motor score demonstrated an R-square of 0.52 in the original dataset, and 0.52 (95% CI 0.52,0.53) across the 200 bootstraps. Functional independence was achieved by 148 patients (39.4%). For the logistic model, the area under the curve was 0.93 in the original dataset, and 0.92 (95% CI 0.92,0.93) across the bootstraps, indicating excellent predictive discrimination. These models will have important clinical impact to guide decision making and to counsel patients and families.Item Open Access A prospective, multicenter, phase I matched-comparison group trial of safety, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of riluzole in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury.(Journal of neurotrauma, 2014-02) Grossman, Robert G; Fehlings, Michael G; Frankowski, Ralph F; Burau, Keith D; Chow, Diana SL; Tator, Charles; Teng, Angela; Toups, Elizabeth G; Harrop, James S; Aarabi, Bizhan; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Johnson, Michele M; Harkema, Susan J; Boakye, Maxwell; Guest, James D; Wilson, Jefferson RA prospective, multicenter phase I trial was undertaken by the North American Clinical Trials Network (NACTN) to investigate the pharmacokinetics and safety of, as well as obtain pilot data on, the effects of riluzole on neurological outcome in acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Thirty-six patients, with ASIA impairment grades A-C (28 cervical and 8 thoracic) were enrolled at 6 NACTN sites between April 2010 and June 2011. Patients received 50 mg of riluzole PO/NG twice-daily, within 12 h of SCI, for 14 days. Peak and trough plasma concentrations were quantified on days 3 and 14. Peak plasma concentration (Cmax) and systemic exposure to riluzole varied significantly between patients. On the same dose basis, Cmax did not reach levels comparable to those in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Riluzole plasma levels were significantly higher on day 3 than on day 14, resulting from a lower clearance and a smaller volume of distribution on day 3. Rates of medical complications, adverse events, and progression of neurological status were evaluated by comparison with matched patients in the NACTN SCI Registry. Medical complications in riluzole-treated patients occurred with incidences similar to those in patients in the comparison group. Mild-to-moderate increase in liver enzyme and bilirubin levels were found in 14-70% of patients for different enzymes. Three patients had borderline severe elevations of enzymes. No patient had elevated bilirubin on day 14 of administration of riluzole. There were no serious adverse events related to riluzole and no deaths. The mean motor score of 24 cervical injury riluzole-treated patients gained 31.2 points from admission to 90 days, compared to 15.7 points for 26 registry patients, a 15.5-point difference (p=0.021). Patients with cervical injuries treated with riluzole had more-robust conversions of impairment grades to higher grades than the comparison group.Item Open Access Acute Adverse Events After Spinal Cord Injury and Their Relationship to Long-term Neurologic and Functional Outcomes: Analysis From the North American Clinical Trials Network for Spinal Cord Injury.(Critical care medicine, 2019-11) Jiang, Fan; Jaja, Blessing NR; Kurpad, Shekar N; Badhiwala, Jetan H; Aarabi, Bizhan; Grossman, Robert G; Harrop, James S; Guest, Jim D; Schär, Ralph T; Shaffrey, Chris I; Boakye, Max; Toups, Elizabeth G; Wilson, Jefferson R; Fehlings, Michael G; North American Clinical Trials Network CollaboratorsObjectives
There are few contemporary, prospective multicenter series on the spectrum of acute adverse events and their relationship to long-term outcomes after traumatic spinal cord injury. The goal of this study is to assess the prevalence of adverse events after traumatic spinal cord injury and to evaluate the effects on long-term clinical outcome.Design
Multicenter prospective registry.Setting
Consortium of 11 university-affiliated medical centers in the North American Clinical Trials Network.Patients
Eight-hundred one spinal cord injury patients enrolled by participating centers.Interventions
Appropriate spinal cord injury treatment at individual centers.Measurements and main results
A total of 2,303 adverse events were recorded for 502 patients (63%). Penalized maximum logistic regression models were fitted to estimate the likelihood of neurologic recovery (ASIA Impairment Scale improvement ≥ 1 grade point) and functional outcomes in subjects who developed adverse events at 6 months postinjury. After accounting for potential confounders, the group that developed adverse events showed less neurologic recovery (odds ratio, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.32-0.96) and was more likely to require assisted breathing (odds ratio, 6.55; 95% CI, 1.17-36.67); dependent ambulation (odds ratio, 7.38; 95% CI, 4.35-13.06) and have impaired bladder (odds ratio, 9.63; 95% CI, 5.19-17.87) or bowel function (odds ratio, 7.86; 95% CI, 4.31-14.32) measured using the Spinal Cord Independence Measure subscores.Conclusions
Results from this contemporary series demonstrate that acute adverse events are common and are associated with worsened long-term outcomes after traumatic spinal cord injury.Item Open Access Association of Pneumonia, Wound Infection, and Sepsis with Clinical Outcomes after Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury.(Journal of neurotrauma, 2019-11) Jaja, Blessing NR; Jiang, Fan; Badhiwala, Jetan H; Schär, Ralph; Kurpad, Shekar; Grossman, Robert G; Harrop, James S; Guest, Jim D; Toups, Elizabeth G; Shaffrey, Chris I; Aarabi, Bizhan; Boakye, Max; Fehlings, Michael G; Wilson, Jefferson RPneumonia, wound infections, and sepsis (PWS) are the leading causes of acute mortality after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the impact of PWS on neurological and functional outcomes is largely unknown. The present study analyzed participants from the prospective North American Clinical Trials Network (NACTN) registry and the Surgical Timing in Acute SCI Study (STASCIS) for the association between PWS and functional outcome (assessed as Spinal Cord Independence Measure subscores for respiration and indoor ambulation) at 6 months post-injury. Neurological outcome was analyzed as a secondary end-point. Among 1299 participants studied, 180 (14%) developed PWS during the acute admission. Compared with those without PWS, participants with PWS were mostly male (76% vs. 86%; p = 0.007), or presented with mostly American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade A injury (36% vs. 61%; p < 0.001). There were no statistical differences between participants with or without PWS with respect to time from injury to surgery, and administration of steroids. Dominance analysis showed injury level, baseline AIS grade, and subject pre-morbid medical status collectively accounted for 77.7% of the predicted variance of PWS. Regression analysis indicated subjects with PWS demonstrated higher odds for respiratory (odds ratio [OR] 3.91, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.42-10.79) and ambulatory (OR 3.94, 95% CI: 1.50-10.38) support at 6 month follow-up in adjusted analysis. This study has shown an association between PWS occurring during acute admission and poorer functional outcomes following SCI.Item Open Access Canadian Spine Society: 23rd Annual Scientific Conference, Wednesday, March 1 - Saturday, March 4, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, Québec, Que., Canada.(Can J Surg, 2023) Birk, Manjot; Sidhu, Kara; Filezio, Marina Rosa; Singh, Vishwajeet; Ferri-de-Barros, Fabio; Chan, Vivien; Shumilak, Geoffrey; Nataraj, Andrew; Langston, Holly; Yee, Nicholas J; Iorio, Carlo; Shkumat, Nicholas; Rocos, Brett; Ertl-Wagner, Birgit; Lebel, David; Camp, Mark W; Dimentberg, Evan; Saran, Neil; Laflamme, Melissa; Ouellet, Jean A; Wenghofer, Jessica; Livock, Holly; Beaton, Luke; Tice, Andrew; Smit, Kevin; Graham, Ryan; Duarte, Matias Pereira; Roy-Beaudry, Marjolaine; Turgeon, Isabelle; Joncas, Julie; Mac-Thiong, Jean-Marc; Labelle, Hubert; Barchi, Soraya; Parent, Stefan; Gholamian, Tara; Livock, Holly; Tice, Andrew; Smit, Kevin; Yoon, Samuel; Zulfiqar, Amna; Rocos, Brett; Murphy, Anne; Bath, Natasha; Moll, Stanley; Sorbara, Julia; Lebel, David; Camp, Mark W; Nallet, Jérémie Arthur; Rocos, Brett; Lebel, David Eduard; Zeller, Reinhard; Dermott, Jennifer A; Kim, Dorothy J; Anthony, Alison; Zeller, Reinhard; Lebel, David E; Wang, Zhi; Shen, Jesse; Kamel, Youssef; Liu, Jia; Shedid, Daniel; Al-Shakfa, Fidaa; Yuh, Sung-Joo; Boubez, Ghassan; Rizkallah, Maroun; Rizkallah, Maroun; Shen, Jesse; Boubez, Ghassan; Kamel, Youssef; Liu, Jia; Shedid, Daniel; Al-Shakfa, Fidaa; Lavoie, Frederic; Yug, Sung-Joo; Wang, Zhi; Alavi, Fatemeh; Nielsen, Christopher; Rampersaud, Raja; Lewis, Stephen; Cheung, Angela M; Cadieux, Chloe; Fernandes, Renan; Brzozowski, Pawel; Zdero, Radovan; Bailey, Chris; Rasoulinejad, Parham; Cherry, Ahmed; Manoharan, Ragavan; Xu, Mark; Srikandarajah, Nisaharan; Iorio, Carlo; Raj, Aditya; Nielsen, Christopher; Rampersaud, Raja; Lewis, Stephen; Beange, Kristen; Graham, Ryan; Livock, Holly; Smit, Kevin; Manoharan, Ragavan; Cherry, Ahmed; Srikandarajah, Nisaharan; Raj, Aditya; Xu, Mark; Iorio, Carlo; Nielsen, Christopher J; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Lewis, Stephen J; Nasrabadi, Ali Asghar Mohammadi; Moammer, Gemah; Phee, John Mc; Walker, Taryn; Urquhart, Jennifer C; Glennie, R Andrew; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Fisher, Charles G; Bailey, Chris S; Herrington, Brandon J; Fernandes, Renan R; Urquhart, Jennifer C; Rasoulinejad, Parham; Siddiqi, Fawaz; Bailey, Christopher S; Urquhart, Jennifer; Fernandes, Renan R; Glennie, R Andrew; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Fisher, Charles G; Bailey, Chris S; Yang, Michael MH; Riva-Cambrin, Jay; Cunningham, Jonathan; Casha, Steven; Cadieux, Chloe N; Urquhart, Jennifer; Fernandes, Renan; Glennie, Andrew; Fisher, Charles; Rampersaud, Raja; Xu, Mark; Manoharan, Ragavan; Cherry, Ahmed; Raj, Aditya; Srikandarajah, Nish; Iorio, Carlo; Nielsen, Christopher; Lewis, Stephen; Rampersaud, Raja; Cherry, Ahmed; Raj, Aditya; McIntosh, Greg; Manoharan, Ragavan; Murray, Jean-Christophe; Nielsen, Christopher; Xu, Mark; Srikandarajah, Nisaharan; Iorio, Carlo; Perruccio, Anthony; Canizares, Mayilee; Rampersaud, Raja; El-Mughayyar, Dana; Bigney, Erin; Richardson, Eden; Manson, Neil; Abraham, Edward; Attabib, Najmedden; Small, Chris; Kolyvas, George; LeRoux, Andre; Outcomes, Canadian Spine; Investigators, Research Network; Hebert, Jeff; Baisamy, Victor; Rizkallah, Maroun; Shen, Jesse; Cresson, Thierry; Vazquez, Carlos; Wang, Zhi; Boubez, Ghassan; Lung, Tiffany; Canizares, Mayilee; Perruccio, Anthony; Rampersaud, Raja; Crawford, Eric J; Ravinsky, Robert A; Perruccio, Anthony V; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Coyte, Peter C; Bond, Michael; Street, John; Fisher, Charles; Charest-Morin, Raphaele; Sutherland, Jason M; Bartolozzi, Arthur R; Barzilai, Ori; Chou, Dean; Laufer, Ilya; Verlaan, Jorrit-Jan; Sahgal, Arjun; Rhines, Laurence D; Scuibba, Daniel M; Lazary, Aron; Weber, Michael H; Schuster, James M; Boriani, Stefano; Bettegowda, Chetan; Arnold, Paul M; Clarke, Michelle J; Fehlings, Michael G; Reynolds, Jeremy J; Gokaslan, Ziya L; Fisher, Charles G; Dea, Nicolas; Versteeg, Anne L; Charest-Morin, Raphaele; Laufer, Ilya; Teixeira, William; Barzilai, Ori; Gasbarrini, Alessandro; Fehlings, Michael G; Chou, Dean; Johnson, Michael G; Gokaslan, Ziya L; Dea, Nicolas; Verlaan, Jorrit-Jan; Goldschlager, Tony; Shin, John H; O'Toole, John E; Sciubba, Daniel M; Bettegowda, Chetan; Clarke, Michelle J; Weber, Michael H; Mesfin, Addisu; Kawahara, Norio; Goodwin, Rory; Disch, Alexander; Lazary, Aron; Boriani, Stefano; Sahgal, Arjun; Rhines, Laurence; Fisher, Charles G; Versteeg, Anne L; Gal, Roxanne; Reich, Leilani; Tsang, Angela; Aludino, Allan; Sahgal, Arjun; Verlaan, Jorrit-Jan; Fisher, Charles G; Verkooijen, Lenny; Rizkallah, Maroun; Wang, Zhi; Yuh, Sung-Joo; Shedid, Daniel; Shen, Jesse; Al-Shakfa, Fidaa; Belguendouz, Céline; AlKafi, Rayan; Boubez, Ghassan; MacLean, Mark A; Georgiopoulos, Miltiadis; Charest-Morin, Raphaele; Germscheid, Niccole; Goodwin, C Rory; Weber, Michael; International, Ao Spine; Rizkallah, Maroun; Boubez, Ghassan; Zhang, Hao; Al-Shakfa, Fidaa; Brindamour, Pamela; Boule, Danielle; Shen, Jesse; Shedid, Daniel; Yuh, Sung-Joo; Wang, Zhi; Correale, Marcia Rebecca; Soever, Leslie Jayne; Rampersaud, Raja; Malic, Claudia Cristina; Dubreuil, Melanie; Duke, Kate; Kingwell, Stephen P; Lin, Zihan; MacLean, Mark A; Julien, Lisa C; Patriquin, Glenn; LeBlanc, Jason; Green, Ryan; Alant, Jacob; Barry, Sean; Glennie, R Andrew; Oxney, William; Christie, Sean D; Sarraj, Mohamed; Alqahtani, Abdullah; Thornley, Patrick; Koziarz, Frank; Bailey, Christopher S; Freire-Archer, Millaray; Bhanot, Kunal; Kachur, Edward; Bhandari, Mohit; Oitment, Colby; Malhotra, Armaan K; Balas, Michael; Jaja, Blessing NR; Harrington, Erin M; Hofereiter, Johann; Jaffe, Rachael H; He, Yingshi; Byrne, James P; Wilson, Jefferson R; Witiw, Christopher D; Brittain, Kennedy CM; Christie, Sean; Pillai, Saranyan; Dvorak, Marcel F; Evaniew, Nathan; Chen, Melody; Waheed, Zeina; Rotem-Kohavi, Naama; Fallah, Nader; Noonan, Vanessa K; Fisher, Charles G; Charest-Morin, Raphaële; Dea, Nicolas; Ailon, Tamir; Street, John; Kwon, Brian K; Sandarage, Ryan V; Galuta, Ahmad; Ghinda, Diana; Kwan, Jason CS; TsaI, Eve C; Hachem, Laureen D; Hong, James; Velumian, Alexander; Mothe, Andrea J; Tator, Charles H; Fehlings, Michael G; Shakil, Husain; Jaja, Blessing NR; Zhang, Peng; Jaffe, Rachael; Malhotra, Armaan K; Wilson, Jefferson R; Witiw, Christopher D; Rotem-Kohavi, Naama; Dvorak, Marcel F; Dea, Nicolas; Evaniew, Nathan; Chen, Melody; Waheed, Zeina; Xu, Jijie; Fallah, Nader; Noonan, Vanessa; Kwon, Brian; Dandurand, Charlotte; Muijs, Sander; Dvorak, Marcel; Schnake, Klaus; Cumhur; Ouml Ner; Greene, Ryan; Furlong, Bradley; Smith-Forrester, Jenna; Swab, Michelle; Christie, Sean D; Hall, Amanda; Leck, Erika; Marshall, Emily; Christie, Sean; Dvorak, Marcel F; Cumhur, F; Ouml Ner; Vaccaro, Alexander R; Benneker, Lorin M; Rajasekaran, Shanmuganathan; El-Sharkawi, Mohammad; Popescu, Eugen Cezar; Tee, Jin Wee; Paquet, Jerome; France, John C; Allen, Richard; Lavelle, William F; Hirschfeld, Miguel; Pneumaticos, Spyros; Dandurand, Charlotte; Cumhur; Ouml Ner; Muijs, Sander; Schnake, Klaus; Dvorak, Marcel; Fernandes, Renan Rodrigues; Thornley, Patrick; Urquhart, Jennifer; Kelly, Sean; Alenezi, Nasser; Alahmari, Abdulmajeed; Siddiqi, Fawaz; Singh, Supriya; Rasoulinejad, Parham; Bailey, Christopher; Evaniew, Nathan; Burger, Lukas D; Dea, Nicolas; Cadotte, David W; McIntosh, Greg; Jacobs, Bradley; St-Laurent-Lebeux, Loïc; Bourassa-Moreau, Étienne; Sarraj, Mohamed; Majeed, Meerab; Guha, Daipayan; Pahuta, Markian; Laflamme, Mathieu; McIntosh, Greg; Dea, Nicolas; Bak, Alex B; Alvi, Mohammed A; Moghaddamjou, Ali; Fehlings, Michael G; Silva, Yan Gabriel Morais David; Goulet, Julien; McIntosh, Greg; Bedard, Sonia; Pimenta, Newton; Blanchard, Jocelyn; Couture, Jerome; LaRue, Bernard; Investigators, Csorn; Adams, Tyler; Cunningham, Erin; El-Mughayyar, Dana; Bigney, Erin; Vandewint, Amanda; Manson, Niel; Abraham, Edward; Small, Chris; Attabib, Najmedden; Richardson, Eden; Hebert, Jeffery; Bond, Michael; Street, John; Fisher, Charles; Charest-Morin, Raphaele; Sutherland, Jason M; Hillier, Troy; Bailey, Chris S; Fisher, Charles; Rampersaud, Raja; Koto, Prosper; Glennie, R Andrew; Soroceanu, Alex; Nicholls, Fred; Thomas, Ken; Evaniew, Nathan; Lewkonia, Peter; Bouchard, Jacques; Jacobs, Brad; Ben-Israel, David; Crawford, Eric J; Fisher, Charles; Dea, Nicolas; Spackman, Eldon; Rampersaud, Raja; Thomas, Kenneth C; Srikandarajah, Nisaharan; Murray, Jean-Christophe; Nielsen, Christopher; Manoharan, Ragavan; Cherry, Ahmed; Raj, Aditiya; Xu, Mark; Iorio, Carlo; Bailey, Chris; Dea, Nicolas; Fisher, Charles; Hall, Hamilton; Manson, Neil; Thomas, Kenneth; Canizares, Mayilee; Rampersaud, Yoga Raja; Urquhart, Jennifer; Fernandes, Renan R; Glennie, R Andrew; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Fisher, Charles G; Bailey, Chris; Yang, Michael MH; Far, Rena; Sajobi, Tolulope; Riva-Cambrin, Jay; Casha, Steven; Bond, Michael; Street, John; Fisher, Charles; Charest-Morin, Raphaele; Sutherland, Jason M; Silva, Yan; Pimenta, Newton Godoy; LaRue, Bernard; Bedard, Sonia; Oviedo, Sonia Cheng; Goulet, Julien; Couture, Jerome; Blanchard, Jocelyn; McDonald, James; Al-Jahdali, Fares; Urquhart, Jennifer; Alahmari, Abdulmajeed; Rampersaud, Raja; Fisher, Charles; Bailey, Chris; Glennie, Andrew; Evaniew, Nathan; Coyle, Matthew; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Bailey, Christopher S; Jacobs, W Bradley; Cadotte, David W; Thomas, Kenneth C; Attabib, Najmedden; Paquet, Jérôme; Nataraj, Andrew; Christie, Sean D; Weber, Michael H; Phan, Philippe; Charest-Morin, Raphaële; Fisher, Charles G; Hall, Hamilton; McIntosh, Greg; Dea, Nicolas; Malhotra, Armaan K; Davis, Aileen M; He, Yingshi; Harrington, Erin M; Jaja, Blessing NR; Zhu, Mary P; Shakil, Husain; Dea, Nicolas; Jacobs, W Bradley; Cadotte, David W; Paquet, Jérôme; Weber, Michael H; Phan, Philippe; Christie, Sean D; Nataraj, Andrew; Bailey, Christopher S; Johnson, Michael G; Fisher, Charles G; Manson, Neil; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Thomas, Kenneth C; Hall, Hamilton; Fehlings, Michael G; Ahn, Henry; Ginsberg, Howard J; Witiw, Christopher D; Wilson, Jefferson R; Althagafi, Alwalaa; McIntosh, Greg; Charest-Morin, Raphaële; Rizzuto, Michael A; Ailon, Tamir; Dea, Nicolas; Evaniew, Nathan; Jacobs, Bradley W; Paquet, Jerome; Rampersaud, Raja; Hall, Hamilton; Bailey, Christopher S; Weber, Michael; Johnson, Michael G; Nataraj, Andrew; Attabib, Najmedden; Cadotte, David W; Manson, Neil; Stratton, Alexandra; Christie, Sean D; Thomas, Kenneth C; Wilson, Jefferson R; Fisher, Charles G; Charest-Morin, Raphaele; Bak, Alex B; Alvi, Mohammed A; Moghaddamjou, Ali; Fehlings, Michael G; Bak, Alex B; Alvi, Mohammed A; Moghaddamjou, Ali; Fehlings, Michael G; Soroceanu, Alex; Nicholls, Fred; Thomas, Ken; Evaniew, Nathan; Salo, Paul; Bouchard, Jacques; Jacobs, Brad; Dandurand, Charlotte; Laghaei, Pedram Farimani; Ailon, Tamir; Charest-Morin, Raphaele; Dea, Nicolas; Dvorak, Marcel; Fisher, Charles; Kwon, Brian K; Paquette, Scott; Street, John; Soroceanu, Alex; Nicholls, Fred; Thomas, Ken; Evaniew, Nathan; Bouchard, Jacques; Salo, Paul; Jacobs, Brad; Varshney, Vishal P; Sahjpaul, Ramesh; Paquette, Scott; Osborn, Jill; Bak, Alex B; Moghaddamjou, Ali; Fehlings, Michael G; Leck, Erika; Marshall, Emily; Christie, Sean; Elkaim, Lior M; Lasry, Oliver J; Raj, Aditya; Murray, Jean-Christophe; Cherry, Ahmed; McIntosh, Greg; Nielsen, Christopher; Srikandarajah, Nisaharan; Manoharan, Ragavan; Iorio, Carlo; Xu, Mark; Perruccio, Anthony; Canizares, Mayilee; Rampersaud, Yoga Raja; Stratton, Alexandra; Tierney, Sarah; Wai, Eugene K; Phan, Philippe; Kingwell, Stephen; Magnan, Marie-Claude; Soroceanu, Alex; Nicholls, Fred; Thomas, Ken; Evaniew, Nathan; Salo, Paul; Bouchard, Jacques; Jacobs, Brad; Spanninga, Barend; Hoelen, Thomáy-Claire A; Johnson, Scott; Arts, Jacobus JC; Bailey, Chris S; Urquhart, Jennifer C; Glennie, R Andrew; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Fisher, Charles G; Levett, Jordan J; Elkaim, Lior M; Alotaibi, Naif M; Weber, Michael H; Dea, Nicolas; Abd-El-Barr, Muhammad M; Cherry, Ahmed; Yee, Albert; Jaber, Nadia; Fehlings, Michael; Cunningham, Erin; Adams, Tyler; El-Mughayyar, Dana; Bigney, Erin; Vandewint, Amanda; Manson, Neil; Abraham, Edward; Small, Chris; Attabib, Najmedden; Richardson, Eden; Hebert, Jeffery; Werier, Joel; Smit, Kevin; Villeneuve, James; Sachs, Adam; Abdelbary, Hesham; Al-Mosuli, Yusra Kassim; Rakhra, Kawan; Phan, Philippe; Nagata, Kosei; Gum, Jeffrey L; Brown, Morgan E; Daniels, Christy L; Carreon, Leah Y; Bonello, John-Peter; Koucheki, Robert; Abbas, Aazad; Lex, Johnathan; Nucci, Nicholas; Whyne, Cari; Larouche, Jeremie; Ahn, Henry; Finkelstein, Joel; Lewis, Stephen; Toor, Jay; Lee, Nathan J; Orosz, Lindsay D; Gum, Jeffrey L; Poulter, Gregory T; Jazini, Ehsan; Haines, Colin M; Good, Christopher R; Lehman, Ronald A; Crawford, Eric J; Ravinsky, Robert A; Perruccio, Anthony V; Coyte, Peter C; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Freire-Archer, Millaray; Sarraj, Mohamed; AlShaalan, Fawaz; Koziarz, Alex; Thornley, Patrick; Alnemari, Haitham; Oitment, Colby; Bharadwaj, Lalita; El-Mughayyar, Dana; Bigney, Erin; Manson, Neil; Abraham, Edward; Small, Chris; Attabib, Najmedden; Richardson, Eden; Kearney, Jill; Kundap, Uday; Investigators, Csorn; Hebert, Jeffrey; Elkaim, Lior M; Levett, Jordan J; Niazi, Farbod; Bokhari, Rakan; Alotaibi, Naif M; Lasry, Oliver J; Bissonnette, Vincent; Yen, David; Muddaluru, Varun S; Gandhi, Pranjan; Mastrolonardo, Alexander; Guha, Daipayan; Pahuta, Markian A; Christie, Sean D; Vandertuin, Trevor; Ritcey, Gillian; Rainham, Daniel; Alhawsawi, Mamdoh; Mumtaz, Rohail; Abdelnour, Mark; Qumquji, Feras; Soroceanu, Alex; Swamy, Ganesh; Thomas, Kenneth; Wai, Eugene; Phan, Philippe; Bhatt, Fenil R; Orosz, Lindsay D; Yamout, Tarek; Good, Christopher R; Schuler, Thomas C; Nguyen, Tiffany; Jazini, Ehsan; Haines, Colin M; Oppermann, Marcelo; Gupta, Shaurya; Ramjist, Joel; Oppermann, Priscila Santos; Yang, Victor XD; Levett, Jordan J; Elkaim, Lior M; Niazi, Farbod; Weber, Michael H; Ioro-Morin, Christian; Bonizzato, Marco; Weil, Alexander G; Oppermann, Marcelo; Ramjist, Joel; Gupta, Shaurya; Oppermann, Priscila S; Yang, Victor XD; Jung, Youngkyung; Muddalaru, Varun; Gandhi, Pranjan; Guha, Daipayan; Koucheki, Robert; Bonello, John-Peter; Abbas, Aazad; Lex, Johnathan R; Nucci, Nicholas; Whyne, Cari; Yee, Albert; Ahn, Henry; Finkelstein, Joel; Larouche, Jeremie; Lewis, Stephen; Toor, Jay; Dhawan, Alaina; Dhawan, Jillian; Sharma, Ajay N; Azzam, Daniel B; Cherry, Ahmed; Fehlings, Michael G; Orosz, Lindsay D; Lee, Nathan J; Yamout, Tarek; Gum, Jeffrey L; Lehman, Ronald A; Poulter, Gregory T; Haines, Colin M; Jazini, Ehsan; Good, Christopher R; Ridha, Barzany B; Persad, Amit; Fourney, Daryl; Byers, Elizabeth; Gallagher, Michelle; Sugar, James; Brown, Justin L; Wang, Zhi; Shen, Jesse; Boubez, Ghassan; Al-Shakfa, Fidaa; Yuh, Sung-Joo; Shedid, Daniel; Rizkallah, Maroun; Singh, Manmohan; Singh, Pankaj Kumar; Lawrence, Peyton Lloyd; Dell, Shevaughn; Goodluck-Tyndall, Ronette; Wade, Kevin; Morgan, Mark; Bruce, Carl; Silva, Yan Gabriel Morais David; Pimenta, Newton; LaRue, Bernard; Aldakhil, Salman; Blanchard, Jocelyn; Couture, Jerome; Goulet, Julien; Bednar, Drew A; Raj, Ruheksh; Urquhart, Jennifer; Bailey, Chris; Christie, Sean D; Greene, Ryan; Chaves, Jennyfer Paulla Galdino; Zarrabian, Mohammed; Sigurdson, Leif; Manoharan, Ragavan; Cherry, Ahmed; Iorio, Carlo; Srikandarajah, Nisaharan; Xu, Mark; Raj, Aditya; Nielsen, Christopher J; Rampersaud, Yoga Raja; Lewis, Stephen JItem Open Access Early versus delayed decompression for traumatic cervical spinal cord injury: results of the Surgical Timing in Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study (STASCIS).(PloS one, 2012-01) Fehlings, Michael G; Vaccaro, Alexander; Wilson, Jefferson R; Singh, Anoushka; W Cadotte, David; Harrop, James S; Aarabi, Bizhan; Shaffrey, Christopher; Dvorak, Marcel; Fisher, Charles; Arnold, Paul; Massicotte, Eric M; Lewis, Stephen; Rampersaud, RajaBACKGROUND:There is convincing preclinical evidence that early decompression in the setting of spinal cord injury (SCI) improves neurologic outcomes. However, the effect of early surgical decompression in patients with acute SCI remains uncertain. Our objective was to evaluate the relative effectiveness of early (<24 hours after injury) versus late (≥ 24 hours after injury) decompressive surgery after traumatic cervical SCI. METHODS:We performed a multicenter, international, prospective cohort study (Surgical Timing In Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study: STASCIS) in adults aged 16-80 with cervical SCI. Enrolment occurred between 2002 and 2009 at 6 North American centers. The primary outcome was ordinal change in ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS) grade at 6 months follow-up. Secondary outcomes included assessments of complications rates and mortality. FINDINGS:A total of 313 patients with acute cervical SCI were enrolled. Of these, 182 underwent early surgery, at a mean of 14.2(± 5.4) hours, with the remaining 131 having late surgery, at a mean of 48.3(± 29.3) hours. Of the 222 patients with follow-up available at 6 months post injury, 19.8% of patients undergoing early surgery showed a ≥ 2 grade improvement in AIS compared to 8.8% in the late decompression group (OR = 2.57, 95% CI:1.11,5.97). In the multivariate analysis, adjusted for preoperative neurological status and steroid administration, the odds of at least a 2 grade AIS improvement were 2.8 times higher amongst those who underwent early surgery as compared to those who underwent late surgery (OR = 2.83, 95% CI:1.10,7.28). During the 30 day post injury period, there was 1 mortality in both of the surgical groups. Complications occurred in 24.2% of early surgery patients and 30.5% of late surgery patients (p = 0.21). CONCLUSION:Decompression prior to 24 hours after SCI can be performed safely and is associated with improved neurologic outcome, defined as at least a 2 grade AIS improvement at 6 months follow-up.Item Open Access Efficacy and safety of surgical decompression in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy: results of the AOSpine North America prospective multi-center study.(The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume, 2013-09) Fehlings, Michael G; Wilson, Jefferson R; Kopjar, Branko; Yoon, Sangwook Tim; Arnold, Paul M; Massicotte, Eric M; Vaccaro, Alexander R; Brodke, Darrel S; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Smith, Justin S; Woodard, Eric J; Banco, Robert J; Chapman, Jens R; Janssen, Michael E; Bono, Christopher M; Sasso, Rick C; Dekutoski, Mark B; Gokaslan, Ziya LBackground
Cervical spondylotic myelopathy is the leading cause of spinal cord dysfunction worldwide. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of surgical decompression on functional, quality-of-life, and disability outcomes at one year after surgery in a large cohort of patients with this condition.Methods
Adult patients with symptomatic cervical spondylotic myelopathy and magnetic resonance imaging evidence of spinal cord compression were enrolled at twelve North American centers from 2005 to 2007. At enrollment, the myelopathy was categorized as mild (modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association [mJOA] score ≥ 15), moderate (mJOA = 12 to 14), or severe (mJOA < 12). Patients were followed prospectively for one year, at which point the outcomes of interest included the mJOA score, Nurick grade, Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Short Form-36 version 2 (SF-36v2). All outcomes at one year were compared with the preoperative values with use of univariate paired statistics. Outcomes were also compared among the severity classes with use of one-way analysis of variance. Finally, a multivariate analysis that adjusted for baseline differences among the severity groups was performed. Treatment-related complication data were collected and the overall complication rate was calculated.Results
Eighty-five (30.6%) of the 278 enrolled patients had mild cervical spondylotic myelopathy, 110 (39.6%) had moderate disease, and 83 (29.9%) had severe disease preoperatively. One-year follow-up data were available for 222 (85.4%) of 260 patients. There was a significant improvement from baseline to one year postoperatively (p < 0.05) in the mJOA score, Nurick grade, NDI score, and all SF-36v2 health dimensions (including the mental and physical health composite scores) except general health. With the exception of the change in the mJOA, the degree of improvement did not depend on the severity of the preoperative symptoms. These results remained unchanged after adjusting for relevant confounders in the multivariate analysis. Fifty-two patients experienced complications (prevalence, 18.7%), with no significant differences among the severity groups.Conclusions
Surgical decompression for the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy was associated with improvement in functional, disability-related, and quality-of-life outcomes at one year of follow-up for all disease severity categories. Furthermore, complication rates observed in the study were commensurate with those in previously reported cervical spondylotic myelopathy series.Item Open Access Frequency and Acceptability of Adverse Events After Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: A Survey Study From the Cervical Spine Research Society.(Clinical spine surgery, 2018-06) Wilson, Jefferson R; Radcliff, Kris; Schroeder, Gregory; Booth, Madison; Lucasti, Christopher; Fehlings, Michael; Ahmad, Nassr; Vaccaro, Alexander; Arnold, Paul; Sciubba, Daniel; Ching, Alex; Smith, Justin; Shaffrey, Christopher; Singh, Kern; Darden, Bruce; Daffner, Scott; Cheng, Ivan; Ghogawala, Zoher; Ludwig, Steven; Buchowski, Jacob; Brodke, Darrel; Wang, Jeffrey; Lehman, Ronald A; Hilibrand, Alan; Yoon, Tim; Grauer, Jonathan; Dailey, Andrew; Steinmetz, Michael; Harrop, James SPURPOSE:Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion has a low but well-established profile of adverse events. The goal of this study was to gauge surgeon opinion regarding the frequency and acceptability of these events. METHODS:A 2-page survey was distributed to attendees at the 2015 Cervical Spine Research Society (CSRS) meeting. Respondents were asked to categorize 18 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion-related adverse events as either: "common and acceptable," "uncommon and acceptable," "uncommon and sometimes acceptable," or "uncommon and unacceptable." Results were compiled to generate the relative frequency of these responses for each complication. Responses for each complication event were also compared between respondents based on practice location (US vs. non-US), primary specialty (orthopedics vs. neurosurgery) and years in practice. RESULTS:Of 150 surveys distributed, 115 responses were received (76.7% response rate), with the majority of respondents found to be US-based (71.3%) orthopedic surgeons (82.6%). Wrong level surgery, esophageal injury, retained drain, and spinal cord injury were considered by most to be unacceptable and uncommon complications. Dysphagia and adjacent segment disease occurred most often, but were deemed acceptable complications. Although surgeon experience and primary specialty had little impact on responses, practice location was found to significantly influence responses for 12 of 18 complications, with non-US surgeons found to categorize events more toward the uncommon and unacceptable end of the spectrum as compared with US surgeons. CONCLUSIONS:These results serve to aid communication and transparency within the field of spine surgery, and will help to inform future quality improvement and best practice initiatives.Item Open Access Frequency, timing, and predictors of neurological dysfunction in the nonmyelopathic patient with cervical spinal cord compression, canal stenosis, and/or ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament.(Spine, 2013-10) Wilson, Jefferson R; Barry, Sean; Fischer, Dena J; Skelly, Andrea C; Arnold, Paul M; Riew, K Daniel; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Traynelis, Vincent C; Fehlings, Michael GStudy design
Systematic review and survey.Objective
To perform an evidence synthesis of the literature and obtain information from the global spine care community assessing the frequency, timing, and predictors of symptom development in patients with radiographical evidence of cervical spinal cord compression, spinal canal narrowing, and/or ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) but no symptoms of myelopathy.Summary of background data
Evidence for a marker to predict symptom development remains sparse, and there is controversy surrounding the management of asymptomatic patients.Methods
We conducted a systematic review of the English language literature and an international survey of spine surgeons to answer the following key questions in patients with radiographical evidence of cervical spinal cord compression, spinal canal narrowing, and/or OPLL but no symptoms of myelopathy: (1) What are the frequency and timing of symptom development? (2) What are the clinical, radiographical, and electrophysiological predictors of symptom development? (3) What clinical and/or radiographical features influence treatment decisions based on an international survey of spine care professionals?Results
The initial literature search yielded 388 citations. Applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria narrowed this to 5 articles. Two of these dealt with the same population. For patients with spinal cord compression secondary to spondylosis, one study reported the frequency of myelopathy development to be 22.6%. The presence of symptomatic radiculopathy, cervical cord hyperintensity on magnetic resonance imaging, and prolonged somatosensory- and motor-evoked potentials were reported in one study as significant independent predictors of myelopathy development. In contrast, the lack of magnetic resonance imaging hyperintensity was found to be a positive predictor of early myelopathy development (≤ 12-mo follow-up). For subjects with OPLL, frequency of myelopathy development was reported in 3 articles and ranged from 0.0% to 61.5% of subjects. One of these studies reported canal stenosis of 60% or more, lateral deviated OPLL, and increased cervical range of motion as significant predictors of myelopathy development. In a survey of 774 spine surgeons, the majority deemed the presence of clinically symptomatic radiculopathy to predict progression to myelopathy in nonmyelopathic patients with cervical stenosis. Survey responses pertaining to 3 patient case vignettes are also presented and discussed in the context of the current literature.Conclusion
On the basis of these results, we provide a series of evidence-based recommendations related to the frequency, timing, and predictors of myelopathy development in asymptomatic patients with cervical stenosis secondary to spondylosis or OPLL. Future prospective studies are required to refine our understanding of this topic. EVIDENCE-BASED CLINICAL RECOMMENDATIONS:Recommendation
Patients with cervical canal stenosis and cord compression secondary to spondylosis, without clinical evidence of myelopathy, and who present with clinical or electrophysiological evidence of cervical radicular dysfunction or central conduction deficits seem to be at higher risk for developing myelopathy and should be counseled to consider surgical treatment.Overall strength of evidence
Moderate.Strength of recommendation
Strong. SUMMARY STATEMENTS: STATEMENT 1: On the basis of the current literature, for patients with cervical canal stenosis and cord compression secondary to spondylosis, without clinical evidence of myelopathy, approximately 8% at 1-year follow-up and 23% at a median of 44-months follow-up develop clinical evidence of myelopathy. STATEMENT 2: For patients with cervical canal stenosis and cord compression secondary to spondylosis, without clinical evidence of myelopathy, the absence of magnetic resonance imaging intramedullary T2 hyperintensity has been shown to predict early myelopathy development (<12-mo follow-up) and the presence of such signal has been shown to predict late myelopathy development (mean 44-mo follow-up). In light of this discrepancy, no definite recommendation can be made surrounding the utility of this finding in predicting myelopathy development. STATEMENT 3: For patients with OPLL but without myelopathy, no recommendation can be made regarding the incidence or predictors of progression to myelopathy.Item Open Access Natural History, Predictors of Outcome, and Effects of Treatment in Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury: A Multi-Center Cohort Study from the North American Clinical Trials Network.(Journal of neurotrauma, 2018-11) Wilson, Jefferson R; Jaja, Blessing NR; Kwon, Brian K; Guest, James D; Harrop, James S; Aarabi, Bizhan; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Badhiwala, Jetan H; Toups, Elizabeth G; Grossman, Robert G; Fehlings, Michael GThe course, treatment response, and recovery potential after acute traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) have been shown to differ depending on the neurological level of injury. There are limited data focused on thoracic-level injuries, however. A cohort of 86 patients from the prospectively maintained North American Clinical Trials Network SCI registry were identified and studied to characterize the patterns of neurological recovery and to determine rates of acute hospital death and pulmonary complications. Regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between timing of surgery and administration of methylprednisolone on neurologic and clinical outcomes. Neurological conversion (≥1 American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale [AIS] grade improvement) was poorest for AIS grade A patients; 14.3% converted at last available follow-up (mean eight months). While rates of conversion were more optimistic for AIS-B patients (54.5%) and AIS C injuries (77.8%) at the same time point, none of the AIS grade D patients converted to AIS E. At last available follow-up (mean eight months), the magnitudes of lower motor extremity score (LEMS) change were highest for AIS C injuries (21.9 points), then AIS B (17.7 points), AIS D (16.4 points), and finally AIS A (2.5 points) (p < 0.05). Early surgical intervention (<24 h post-injury) was independently associated with an additional seven points in motor recovery and a 60% decreased incidence of pulmonary events (p < 0.05). Methylprednisolone administration was not an independent predictor of neurological outcome or pulmonary complications. Evaluation of this cohort obtained from a modern multi-center SCI registry provides an update on the natural history, acute death, and incidence of pulmonary complications after traumatic thoracic SCI. Although small sample size limited the extent of analyses possible, early surgical treatment was associated with significantly larger motor recovery and lower rates of pulmonary complications.Item Open Access Riluzole for the treatment of acute traumatic spinal cord injury: rationale for and design of the NACTN Phase I clinical trial.(Journal of neurosurgery. Spine, 2012-09) Fehlings, Michael G; Wilson, Jefferson R; Frankowski, Ralph F; Toups, Elizabeth G; Aarabi, Bizhan; Harrop, James S; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Harkema, Susan J; Guest, James D; Tator, Charles H; Burau, Keith D; Johnson, Michele W; Grossman, Robert GIn the immediate period after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) a variety of secondary injury mechanisms combine to gradually expand the initial lesion size, potentially leading to diminished neurological outcomes at long-term follow-up. Riluzole, a benzothiazole drug, which has neuroprotective properties based on sodium channel blockade and mitigation of glutamatergic toxicity, is currently an approved drug that attenuates the extent of neuronal degeneration in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Moreover, several preclinical SCI studies have associated riluzole administration with improved functional outcomes and increased neural tissue preservation. Based on these findings, riluzole has attracted considerable interest as a potential neuroprotective drug for the treatment of SCI. Currently, a Phase I trial evaluating the safety and pharmacokinetic profile of riluzole in human SCI patients is being conducted by the North American Clinical Trials Network (NACTN) for Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury. The current review summarizes the existing preclinical and clinical literature on riluzole, provides a detailed description of the Phase I trial, and suggests potential opportunities for future investigation. Clinical trial registration no.: NCT00876889.Item Open Access The impact of facet dislocation on clinical outcomes after cervical spinal cord injury: results of a multicenter North American prospective cohort study.(Spine, 2013-01) Wilson, Jefferson R; Vaccaro, Alexander; Harrop, James S; Aarabi, Bizhan; Shaffrey, Christopher; Dvorak, Marcel; Fisher, Charles; Arnold, Paul; Massicotte, Eric M; Lewis, Stephen; Rampersaud, Raja; Okonkwo, David O; Fehlings, Michael GStudy design
A multicenter prospective cohort study.Objective
To define differences in baseline characteristics and long-term clinical outcomes in patients with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) with and without facet dislocation (FD).Summary of background data
Reports of dramatic neurological improvement in patients with FD and cervical SCI, treated with rapid reduction have led to the hypothesis that this represents a subgroup of patients with significant recovery potential. However, without a large systematic comparative analysis, this hypothesis remains untested.Methods
Patients were classified into FD and non-FD groups based on imaging investigations at admission. The primary outcome was change in American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) motor score (AMS) at 1-year follow-up. Secondary outcome measures included ASIA impairment scale (AIS) grade conversion and functional independence measure score at 1-year postinjury, as well as length of acute hospitalization. Baseline characteristics and long-term outcomes were also compared for patients with unilateral and bilateral FD.Results
Of 421 patients who enrolled, 135 (32.1%) had FD and 286 (67.9%) had no FD. Patients in the FD group presented with a significantly worse AIS grade and higher energy injury mechanisms (P < 0.01). Patients with bilateral FD had a greater severity of baseline neurological deficit compared with those with unilateral FD, measured by AIS grade and AMS. The mean length of acute hospitalization was 41.2 days among patients with FD and 30 days among patients without FD (P = 0.04). At 1-year follow-up, patients with FD experienced a mean AMS improvement of 18.0 points, whereas patients without FD experienced an improvement of 27.9 points (P < 0.01). In the adjusted analysis, patients with FD continued to demonstrate less AMS recovery compared with the patients without FD (P = 0.04).Conclusion
Compared with patients without FD, cervical SCI patients with FD tended to present with a more severe degree of initial injury and displayed less potential for motor recovery at 1-year follow-up.Item Open Access Timing of Decompression in Patients With Acute Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review.(Global spine journal, 2017-09-05) Wilson, Jefferson R; Tetreault, Lindsay A; Kwon, Brian K; Arnold, Paul M; Mroz, Thomas E; Shaffrey, Christopher; Harrop, James S; Chapman, Jens R; Casha, Steve; Skelly, Andrea C; Holmer, Haley K; Brodt, Erika D; Fehlings, Michael GSystematic review.To conduct a systematic review and synthesis of the literature to assess the comparative effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of early (≤24 hours) versus late decompression (>24 hours) in adults with acute spinal cord injury (SCI).A systematic search was conducted of Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Collaboration Library, and Google Scholar to identify studies published through November 6, 2014. Studies published in any language, in humans, and with an abstract were considered for inclusion. Included studies were critically appraised and the overall strength of evidence was determined using methods proposed by the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation working group.The search yielded 449 potentially relevant citations. Sixteen additional primary studies were identified through other sources. Six studies met inclusion criteria. All but 2 studies were considered to have moderately high risk of bias. Across studies and injury levels, the impact of early surgical decompression (≤24 hours) on clinically important improvement in neurological status was variable. Isolated studies reported statistically significant and clinically important improvements at 6 months (cervical injury, low strength of evidence) and following discharge from inpatient rehabilitation (all levels, very low strength of evidence) but not at other time points; another study observed a statistically significant 6 point improvement in ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS) among patients with AIS B, C, or D, but not for those with AIS A (very low strength of evidence). In one study of acute central cord syndrome without instability, a clinically and statistically meaningful improvement in total motor scores was reported at 6 and 12 months in patients treated early (versus late). There were, however, no significant differences in AIS improvement between early and late surgical groups at 6- or 12-months (very low strength of evidence). One of 3 studies found a shorter length of hospital stay associated with early surgical decompression. Of 3 studies reporting on safety, no significant differences in rates of complications (including mortality, neurologic deterioration, pneumonia or pressure ulcers) were noted between early and late decompression groups.Results surrounding the efficacy of early versus late decompressive surgery, as well as the quality of evidence available, were variable depending on the level of SCI, timing of follow-up, and specific outcome considered. Existing evidence supports improved neurological recovery among cervical SCI patients undergoing early surgery; however, evidence regarding remaining SCI populations and clinical outcomes was inconsistent.Item Open Access Trajectory-Based Classification of Recovery in Sensorimotor Complete Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury.(Neurology, 2021-04) Jaja, Blessing NR; Badhiwala, Jetan; Guest, James; Harrop, James; Shaffrey, Chris; Boakye, Max; Kurpad, Shekar; Grossman, Robert; Toups, Elizabeth; Geisler, Fred; Kwon, Brian; Aarabi, Bizhan; Kotter, Mark; Fehlings, Michael G; Wilson, Jefferson RTo test the hypothesis that sensorimotor complete traumatic cervical spinal cord injury is a heterogenous clinical entity comprising several subpopulations that follow fundamentally different trajectories of neurologic recovery. We analyzed demographic and injury data from 655 patients who were pooled from 4 prospective longitudinal multicenter studies. Group based trajectory modeling was applied to model neurologic recovery trajectories over the initial 12-months postinjury and to identify predictors of recovery trajectories. Neurologic outcomes included: Upper Extremity Motor Score, Total Motor Scores and AIS grade improvement. The analysis identified 3 distinct trajectories of neurologic recovery. These clinical courses included: (1) Marginal recovery trajectory: characterized by minimal or no improvement in motor strength or change in AIS grade status (remained grade A); (2) Moderate recovery trajectory: characterized by low baseline motor scores that improved approximately 13 points; or AIS conversion of one grade point; (3) Good recovery trajectory: characterized by baseline motor scores in the upper quartile that improved to near maximum values within 3 months of injury. Patients following the moderate or good recovery trajectories were of younger age, had more caudally located injuries, a higher degree of preserved motor and sensory function at baseline examination and exhibited a greater extent of motor and sensory function in the zone of partial preservation. Cervical complete SCI can be classified into one of 3 distinct subpopulations with fundamentally different trajectories of neurologic recovery. This study defines unique clinical phenotypes based on potential for recovery, rather than baseline severity of injury alone. This approach may prove beneficial in clinical prognostication and in the design and interpretation of clinical trials in SCI.