ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the differences between the conservative treatment and the operative treatment in the management of cervical spinal cord injury, and the timing of the operation. Methods The therapeutic effectiveness o f the 45 cases who were treated from October 1996 to January 2002 was analyzed. 21 of them underwent conservative treatment and 24 operative treatment. The corr elation between the therapeutic effects of the operation and its timing was expl ored. Results The myeloid functional recovery was poor in the patients who had b een treated with conservative means but good in those who had been given an oper ation. The earlier the operation, the more effective it could be, and the higher the probability of the myeloid functional recovery. Conclusions The operative treatment promises better outcome than the conservative treatment. To get the be st effects, the operation should be done within one month after the injury, for the longer the lapse between the injury and the operation, the worse the effect.