Evaluation of the Potential Adverse Effect of Pressure After Spinal Cord Injury

About a thousand people a year in the United Kingdom survive a spinal cord injury but are left paralysed or wheelchair-bound. The annual cost of care for spinal cord injury victims is more than half a billion pounds. We propose that after spinal cord injury, cord pressure at the injury site rises, damaging the spinal cord further by secondary ischaemia. The value of measuring and reducing cord pressure after spinal cord injury is unknown.

The injured spinal cord is compressed by bone malalignment and cord swelling. Current management involves realigning and fixing the bony fragments using metal screws, rods and plates. We hypothesise that: 1. Bony realignment alone does not adequately decompress the swollen cord, which remains compressed against the surrounding dura. 2. That duraplasty reduces intra spinal pressure more effectively than bone realignment alone. 3. Localised hypothermia reduces intra spinal pressure and improves metabolism.

We will develop a novel method to measure cord pressure and metabolism at the injury site after spinal cord injury and determine whether the cord pressure rises, for how long, and with what impact on spinal cord metabolism.

This is a pilot study to find out whether spinal cord pressure and metabolism can be measured after spinal cord injury and whether they are effected by treatment choices. We will examine if spinal cord perfusion pressure correlates with clinical outcomes.