Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40773425›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Spinal cord swelling and intradural compression predict neurological recovery after acute cervical traumatic spinal cord injury.

Harshit Arora, Hassan Darabi, Nathaniel Toop, Amy Minnema, Zahraa Al-Sharshahi, Grace M Martin, Kelsey Karnik, Jan M Schwab, Francis Farhadi

Abstract read
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Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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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.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Harshit AroraDepartment of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America.
Hassan DarabiDepartment of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America.
Nathaniel ToopDepartment of Neurological Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Amy MinnemaDepartment of Neurological Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7918-058X
Zahraa Al-SharshahiDepartment of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America.
Grace M MartinDepartment of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America.
Kelsey KarnikDepartment of Biostatistics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0759-8917
Jan M SchwabDepartment of Neurology and Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Francis FarhadiDepartment of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4668-8512

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Intradural spinal cord compression impairs perfusion pressure and is putatively rate-limiting for recovery after traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI). After cervical tSCI, even minimally improved tissue preservation may help promote neurological recovery. To assess the nature and extent of spinal cord swelling and compression post-acute cervical tSCI, we evaluated several baseline MRI parameters including BASIC score, intramedullary lesion (IML) length, maximal canal compromise (MCC), maximal spinal cord compression (MSCC), extent of cord compression (ECC), maximal swollen anteroposterior diameter adjacent to injury site (Dmax), and maximal cord swelling (MCS) in 169 consecutive patients across 2 centers. In patients with either primarily intradural or combined (MSCC ≤5% or >5%, respectively) cord compression, we examined the predictive value of clinical and imaging admission parameters on American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) severity and conversion up to 1-year follow-up. 37 (21.9%) patients presented with primarily intradural while 132 (78.1%) had combined cord compression. MSCC, MCS, and Dmax values differed significantly between the two groups (p < 0.0001, < 0.01 and < 0.001, respectively). MSCC was associated with age, MCC and MCS at baseline, while MCS was associated with age, MSCC and Dmax, on multivariable analysis. Logistic regression analysis of areas under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) confirmed ECC (AUC 0.678) and MCS (AUC 0.922) as good and excellent predictors, respectively of AIS-conversion at 1-year for intradural compression participants. Additionally, MCS was significantly more accurate in predicting AIS-conversion in intradural group and the probability of AIS-conversion significantly decreased with each 1% increase in MCS (p = 0.003; OR 0.949), for both compression subtypes. In conclusion, baseline measures of cord swelling predict AIS-conversion likelihood up to 1-year. The deleterious effects of intradural cord compression, either isolated or presenting with extradural compression, may benefit from supplemental decompression strategies in addition to current standard-of-care.

Indexed as

Cervical VertebraeEdemaSpinal CordSpinal Cord CompressionSpinal Cord InjuriesAdultAgedCervical CordFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedRecovery of FunctionRetrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID40773425
PMCPMC12331075

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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.