Methylprednisolone for the Treatment of Patients with Acute Spinal Cord Injuries: A Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study from a Canadian Multi-Center Spinal Cord Injury Registry

Evaniew N, Noonan VK, Fallah N, Kwon B, Rivers CS, Ahn H, Bailey CS, Christie SD, Fourney DR, Hurlbert RJ, Linassi AG, Fehlings MG, Dvorak MF, and The RHSCIR Network. Journal of Neurotrauma. November 1, 2015 doi: 10.1089/neu.2015.3963. 

Summary: In a matched case-control analysis using national RHSCIR data, no evidence was found that methylprednisolone improves neurologic outcome following traumatic spinal cord injury as found in the controversial and much criticized 1990 NASCIS-II trial. This supports the downgrade of methylprednisolone as a treatment recommendation to a treatment option, and the evidence that it may increase odds of complications.