Acute spinal cord injury. A study using physical examination and magnetic resonance imaging.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on 37 patients with acute spinal injury using T1- and T2-weighted images. Three different types of MRI signal patterns were detected in association with these spinal cord injuries. A classification was developed using these three patterns. Type I, seen in ten (27.0%) of the patients, demonstrated a decreased signal intensity consistent with acute intraspinal hemorrhage. Type II, seen in 16 (43.2%) of the patients, demonstrated a bright signal intensity consistent with acute cord edema. Type III, seen in three (8.1%) of the patients, demonstrated a mixed signal of hypointensity centrally and hyperintensity peripherally consistent with contusion. The remaining eight patients had normal cords by MRI. All 37 patients had an admitting neurologic assessment and classification of their spinal injury according to the Frankel classification and the Trauma Motor Index (TMI). At an average of 12.1 months postinjury, their neurologic function was reassessed. Patients with Type I patterns showed no improvement in their Frankel classification and minimal improvement in their TMI, 32.1 to 42.4. In comparison, all of the Type II and III patterns improved at least one Frankel classification. The Type II TMI increased from 70.8 to 91.9 and Type III from 37.3 to 75.7. This preliminary report indicates a distinct correlation between the pattern of spinal cord injury as identified by MRI and neurologic recovery. It appears that the ability of MRI to aid in examination of the condition of the spinal cord will offer a means of predicting neurologic recovery following acute spinal cord injury.

Indium-111 leukocyte scanning and fracture healing.

This study was undertaken to determine the specificity of indium-111 leukocyte scans for osteomyelitis when fractures are present. Midshaft tibial osteotomies were performed in 14 New Zealand white rabbits, seven of which were infected postoperatively with Staphylococcus aureus per Norden's protocol. All 14 rabbits were scanned following injection with 75 microCi of indium 111 at 72 h after osteotomy and at weekly intervals for 4 weeks. Before the rabbits were killed, the fracture sites were cultured to document the presence or absence of infection. The results of all infected osteotomy sites were positive, whereas no positive scans were found in the noninfected osteotomies. We concluded from this study that uncomplicated fracture healing does not result in a positive indium-111 leukocyte scan.

1.5 tesla magnetic resonance imaging of acute spinal trauma.

Fifty patients with spinal injury above L2 were studied with MRI; forty-two had initial and followup studies permitting correlation of MRI abnormalities with neurologic improvement. Two discrete patterns of MRI abnormality were identified, presumably representing cord hemorrhage and edema respectively. A third pattern appeared to represent a mixed type of injury. The correlation between the MRI patterns of cord injury and neurologic recovery was excellent. The ability of MRI to demonstrate and characterize acute cord injury appears to exceed that of other diagnostic techniques.

The medical and economic impact of severely injured lower extremities.

Modern methods of open fracture management, skeletal fixation, and soft-tissue and bone reconstruction have dramatically improved the potential for limb salvage. The absence of adequate objective parameters on which to base the decision for salvage results in delayed amputations in many cases. The present study was undertaken to review the medical and economic impact of delayed versus primary amputations following severe open fractures of the tibia. From January 1980 to August 1986, 263 patients with grade III open tibia fractures were treated at a major trauma center: 43 ultimately had amputations. This group included 38 males and five females with an average age of 31 years (range, 15-73). All patients were taken to the operating suite for consideration of limb salvage procedures including debridement, fasciotomy, revascularization, or rigid fixation. The standard subjective criteria including color, consistency, bleeding, and contractility were used to determine muscle viability at the time of debridement. If substantial muscle mass was found to be nonviable then amputation was considered. Fourteen (32.6%) of the patients had primary amputations. They averaged 22.3 days hospitalization, 1.6 surgical procedures to the involved lower extremity, and $28,964 hospital costs (range, $5,344-$81,282). The 29 patients with delayed amputations had an average of 53.4 days hospitalization, 6.9 surgical procedures, and $53,462 hospital costs (range, $14,574-$102,434). Six (20.7%) of the delayed amputation patients developed sepsis secondary to their involved lower extremity and died; no patient in the primary amputation group developed sepsis or died.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Magnetic resonance imaging of acute spinal cord trauma: preliminary report.

Forty-three magnetic resonance studies were performed on 28 patients with suspected spinal cord injury using a 1.5 Tesla magnet and surface coils. Imaging was performed between day 1 and day 16 post injury. In several patients, repeat magnetic resonance studies were performed to evaluate the resolution of the cord lesions. Three types of magnetic resonance signal patterns were seen in association with the cord injuries. Patients with intraspinal hemorrhage did not have significant neurological recovery, whereas patients with cord edema/contusion recovered significant neurological function. Magnetic resonance imaging appears to be useful in the diagnosis of acute cord injury and also appears to demonstrate the potential for predicting neurological recovery.

Delayed posterior internal fixation of unstable pelvic fractures.

Fifteen patients with unstable pelvic fractures were treated with immediate anterior external fixation followed by delayed posterior fixation, including five sacroiliac lag screws, six transiliac rods, and four iliac plates. Initial anterior external fixation aided in resuscitation of hemodynamically unstable patients and allowed early mobilization. Delayed posterior internal fixation avoided infection and hemorrhage but failed to achieve anatomic reduction of disrupted sacroiliac joints and sacral fractures. Followup examination confirmed maintenance of fixation and fracture healing but pain and persistent neurologic deficits were common findings. Lumbosacral nerve plexus injuries occurred in patients with fractures through the sacral foramina. Fixation of these fractures with sacroiliac screws and transiliac rods caused overcompression and the resulting foraminal encroachment may be a factor in the lack of neurologic recovery. In this study, delayed posterior internal fixation was not associated with perioperative morbidity and achieved better reductions than those obtained with external fixation alone. Delaying the fixation, however, increased the difficulty of obtaining anatomic reduction of certain posterior arch disruptions.

Bile reflux gastritis.

Bile reflux gastritis is a disabling postgastrectomy condition characterized by abdominal pain, bilious vomiting, and weight loss. The syndrome appears to be caused by free enterogastric reflux of bile and other proximal small bowel constituents. Endoscopic confirmation of bile reflux and documentation of gastritis support the diagnosis but are not specific for it. Results of medical therapy with chelating agents or drugs that promote gastric motility have been disappointing. Diet and antacids frequently aggravate symptoms. The only effective treatment is surgical diversion of bile away from the gastric mucosa. During a recent seven-year period, 15 patients had diversionary operation for bile reflux gastritis diagnosed by history and endoscopic findings. Before operation, medical management had failed to yield improvement in any case. After operation, all patients showed improvement, and pain was relieved in 85%. Based on our experience, we conclude that current medical therapy may alter but not cure symptoms of bile reflux gastritis; Roux-en-Y diversion is the treatment of choice in patients with persistent symptoms; and delayed gastric emptying is a common complication after the Roux-en-Y procedure, but in our series, the incidence was reduced by using the Tanner 19 modification. New cytoprotective agents that may offer an alternative to operation are currently being studied.

Posterior sagittal anoplasty combined with ventricular peritoneal shunting: an unusual complication.

This report is intended to point out the potential difficulties in patients with the combined abnormalities of anorectal agenesis and central nervous system disorders requiring diversion of CSF. The potential accumulation of this diverted fluid in and around meticulously approximated pelvic musculature so important to continence was a real concern and prompted immediate reexploration and shunt conversion. It is recommended that future cases with these coexisting abnormalities should be carefully considered for shunt conversion prior to or at the time of posterior sagittal anorectoplasty, particularly if the peritoneum is inadvertantly entered.