The impact of spine stability on cervical spinal cord injury with respect to demographics, management, and outcome: a prospective cohort from a national spinal cord injury registry

Paquet J, Rivers CS, Kurban D, Finkelstein J, Tee JW, Noonan VK, Kwon BK, Hurlbert RJ, Christie S, Tsai EC, Ahn H, Drew B, Bailey CS, Fourney DR, Attabib N, Johnson MG, Fehlings MG, Parent S, Dvorak MF; RHSCIR Network. Spine J. 2017 Jul 1. pii: S1529-9430(17)30306-6. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2017.06.032.

Summary: One of the most common types of spinal cord injury is known as central cord syndrome, which is traditionally described as a cervical (neck) injury that results in more weakness in the arms than in the legs. It is often seen in people who are injured by falling and hitting their head, and over-extending their neck. However, doctors often have differing views on how to diagnose central cord syndrome. The study found that using spinal column stability to classify central cord syndrome is more accurate than traditional rules.

This study uses data from the Rick Hansen SCI Registry.