ArticleGlobal spine journal2020
Early Surgery for Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: Where Are We Now?
Article in Global spine journal, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
36 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The time-dependent efficacy of early surgical decompression in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis.The journal of spinal cord medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Association between surgical timing and neurological recovery after traumatic spinal cord injury.European journal of medical research · 2025Pooled it
- Time-sensitive ambulatory orthopaedic soft-tissue surgery paradigms during the COVID-19 pandemic.International orthopaedics · 2020Pooled it
- Neuropathic pain development and maintenance and its association with motor recovery after cervical spinal cord injury.The journal of spinal cord medicine · 2025Trial
- A functional outcome prediction model of acute traumatic spinal cord injury based on extreme gradient boost.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2022Trial
- Effect of Early vs Delayed Surgical Treatment on Motor Recovery in Incomplete Cervical Spinal Cord Injury With Preexisting Cervical Stenosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2021Trial
- Awake closed manual reduction of cervical spine dislocation as an emergency bridge to surgery: a case report.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes of Transition from Conservative Therapy to Surgical Intervention in Older Patients with Cervical Spinal Cord Injury without Major Bone Injury: A Nationwide Retrospective Study.Spine surgery and related research · 2025Article
- Timing of surgical intervention after firearm-related spinal cord injury.The journal of spinal cord medicine · 2025Article
- Article
- Review
- Advances and New Therapies in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Optimization of Spinal Cord Perfusion Pressure for Improvement of Neurological Outcome in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Neurotrauma reports · 2025Review
- Prognostic influences and prediction model construction for traumatic cervical spinal cord injury.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Article
- Thoracolumbar spinal cord injury: management, techniques, timing.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2024Review
- ESTES recommendation on thoracolumbar spine fractures : January 2023.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2024Review
- Article
- Quality of in-hospital care in traumatic spinal column and cord injuries (TSC/SCI) in I.R Iran.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2024Review
- A Practical Classification System for Acute Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Based on a Three-Phased Modified Delphi Process From the AOSpine Spinal Cord Injury Knowledge Forum.Global spine journal · 2024Article
- Ultra-Early (<5 Hours) Decompression for Thoracolumbar Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Series.Cureus · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
STUDY
designNarrative review.
objectiveThere is a strong biological rationale to perform early decompression after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). With an enlarging clinical evidence base, most spine surgeons internationally now favor early decompression for the majority of SCI patients; however, a number of pertinent questions remain surrounding this therapy.
methodsA narrative review evaluating the status of early surgery for SCI. In particular, we addressed the following questions: (1) Which patients stand to benefit most from early surgery? 2) What is the most appropriate time threshold defining early surgery?
resultsAlthough heterogeneity exists, the evidence generally seems to support early surgery. While the best evidence exists for cervical SCI, there is insufficient data to support a differential effect for early surgery depending on neurological level or injury severity. When comparing thresholds to define early versus late surgery-including a later threshold (48-72 hours), an earlier threshold (24 hours), and an ultra-early threshold (8-12 hours)-the 2 earlier time points seem to be associated with the greatest potential for improved outcomes. However, existing prehospital and hospital logistics pose barriers to early surgery in a significant proportion of patients. An overview of recommendations from the recent AOSpine guidelines is provided.
conclusionIn spite of increasing acceptance of early surgery post SCI, further research is needed to (1) identify subgroups of patients who stand to derive particular benefit-in particular to develop more evidence-based approaches for central cord syndrome and (2) investigate the efficacy and feasibility of ultra-early surgery targeting more aggressive timelines.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.