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Study design Longitudinal study. Objectives To describe the severity of spinal cord injury/disease (SCI/D), type and management of neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction, tumor characteristics, and bladder cancer latency period in SCI/D patients. Setting Spinal cord injury centers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Methods Data of SCI/D patients diagnosed with bladder cancer were collected between Jan 2012-Dec 2019 in the course of annual surveys in the neuro-urological departments of all 28 centers. Demographic and paralysis-specific data, data on the type and management of neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction, and histopathological tumor characteristics were collected. Results Regarding histopathological tumor characteristics, no significant differences were found in 135 individuals with SCI/D when stratified for bladder management without chronic catheterization, SCI/D severity, and ASIA classification. The mean latency period between the onset of SCI/D and the diagnosis of bladder cancer was significantly longer in patients with catheter-free emptying methods compared to patients with intermittent catheterization, and in patients with LMNL (Lower Motor Neuron Lesion) compared to patients with UMNL (Upper Motor Neuron Lesion). Conclusions Urinary bladder carcinomas are late events in the long-term course of SCI/D. Follow-up and approaches to screening must therefore be intensified with increasing duration of long-term SCI.

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Patienten mit einer Querschnittlähmung entwickeln syndromspezifische, viszeralchirurgisch relevante Krankheitsbilder, die im Rahmen des akuten spinalen Schocks auftreten können oder Folge der zumeist progredienten neurogenen Darmfunktionsstörung (NBD) mit Ausbildung eines Colon elongatum und/oder Megakolons sind. Auch die akuten abdominalchirurgischen Notfälle, wie akute Appendizitis, Cholezystitis, Divertikultis oder Ileusbilder, stellen den Kliniker bei untypischer oder teils fehlender Klinik vor diagnostische und therapeutische Herausforderungen. Einen zunehmenden Stellenwert nimmt die Ausweitung adipositaschirurgischer Indikationen auf Patienten mit einer Querschnittlähmung ein Ziel der Arbeit Dieser Artikel soll einen Überblick über die speziellen Anforderungen und Aspekte in der Behandlung dieses speziellen Patientenkollektivs geben und die Evidenz querschnittspezifischer viszeralchirurgischer Behandlungen aufzeigen. Material und Methoden Es wurde eine selektive Literaturrecherche in den Datenbanken Medline und Cochrane Library in deutscher und englischer Sprache (1985–2020) durchgeführt. Ergebnisse und Diskussion Die klinische Behandlung querschnittgelähmter Patienten erfordert einen profunden Kenntnisstand über die pathophysiologischen Veränderungen bei unterschiedlicher Querschnitthöhe (oberes vs. unteres motorisches Neuron) und die Phasen der Erkrankung (spinaler Schock vs. Langzeitverlauf). Fehlende oder atypische klinische Symptome akuter Erkrankungen verzögern eine rasche Diagnosefindung und machen eine frühzeitige Durchführung gezielter Diagnostik unabdingbar. Die Evidenz der chirurgischen Behandlung der akuten und chronischen Folgen der NBD ist gering und basiert auf Fallserien und „case reports“ ebenso wie die für spezielle Indikationen wie adipositaschirurgische Eingriffe.

Background The aim of the study was to clarify whether clinical and/or urodynamic parameters could be used to infer the probability of neutralizing antibody (NAb) formation as a possible cause of therapy failure (non-response, NR) in patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) due to acquired spinal cord injury/disease (SCI/D) treated with intradetrusor botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT-A) injections. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed of all patients with SCI/D who underwent both intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxin A injections and the determination of neutralizing antibodies against BoNT-A between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2018. NR was defined as urodynamically confirmed persistent or reappearing NDO. Results A total of 2700 BoNT-A injections in 414 patients were ascertained. In 69 patients with primary NR after the first BoNT-A injection (n = 6) or with secondary NR after more than one BoNT-A injection (n = 63), an antibody analysis was performed. Antibody examination showed 36 (52.2%) negative, 5 (7.2%) borderline and 14 (each 20.3%) each of positive and highly positive values. Subgroup analysis indicated a correlation between NAb formation and the duration of BoNT-A therapy (p = 0.015), the mean number of BoNT-A injections (p = 0.011) and the time interval between BoNT-A applications (p = 0.022). Urodynamic data analysis indicate significant differences with cut-off values of MCC (p = 0.038) and MDP (> 45 cmH2O, p = 0.040). However, in the regression analysis models, the predictive value for the occurrence of NAb was too low (MCC: ROC AUC 0.62, MDP: ROC AUC 0.52) to distinguish with sufficient certainty between NAb-positive and NAb-negative NR patients. Conclusions Despite significant correlations, clinical and urodynamic parameters are only partially suitable for predicting antibody formation against BoNT-A.

Purpose For successful long-term rehabilitation of patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD), it is necessary to define the objective requirement for urological aids based on a scientifically validated basis. Methods This was a cross-sectional multicenter study, based on a questionnaire. Data concerning bladder management and daily consumption of urological appliances for patients with NLUTD in a community setting were collected through a standardized survey. Results Seven hundred and sixty-seven records were analyzed: 543 males, 221 females (N/A = 3). Patients using intermittent catheterization (n= 608) required 5.06 (mean) single-use catheters per day. Out of them, 94 (15.5%) required additional pads (mean: 2.29 per day), 34 patients (5.6%) additionally used pants (mean: 2.55 per day) and 46 patients (7.6%) utilized condom catheters (mean: 3.81 per day) between catheterizations. Among all, 126 patients (16.4%) used pads (mean: 5.03 per day), and 51 patients (6.6%) used pants (mean: 3.03 per day). Women needed both pads (p

Life expectancy for people with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is increasing due to advances in treatment methods and in neuro-urology. Thus, developing urinary bladder cancer (UBC) is gaining importance. Single-centre retrospective evaluation of consecutive in- and out-patient data with spinal cord injury between January 1st, 1998 and December 31st, 2018 was carried out and data were compared with UBC data of the German population from the German Centre for Cancer Registry Data at Robert Koch Institute. A total of 37 (4 female, 33 male) out of 7004 patients with SCI were diagnosed with histologically proven UBC (median follow-up 85 months). Median age at UBC diagnosis was 54.0 years (general population: 74 years). The SCI patients had significantly (p

INTRODUCTION: For individuals with spinal cord injury/disease (SCI/D) the risk of developing a stone in the upper urinary tract is up to six times higher than in the able-bodied population. Upper urinary tract carcinomas, in general, are rare and account for only 5–10% of all urinary tract carcinomas. It is believed that chronic upper urinary tract irritation caused by e.g., kidney stones or recurrent upper urinary tract infections may be associated with an increased risk of renal squamous cell carcinoma (RSCC). CASE PRESENTATION: We report on a 64-year-old male who suffered a spinal cord injury in 1981 resulting in a complete sensory and motor impairment below T6, AIS A. Recurrent left-sided kidney stone disease had to be treated repeatedly from 1984 onwards. Despite repeated surgical attempts, it was ultimately not possible to achieve stone clearance in the long term. Within the concept of life-long surveillance of SCI/D, the patient was examined regularly, including ultrasound examinations of the kidneys. Six months after the last control examination, the patient was admitted to our hospital with a locally advanced tumor of the left kidney, so that only the option of palliative treatment remained. Histologically an RSCC was found. DISCUSSION: As people with SCI/D have a higher risk of developing kidney stones, it is of utmost importance to check regularly for stone disease and, if necessary, treat with the aim of long-term stone clearance in order to protect renal function and to avert potentially malignant changes at an early stage.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective descriptive study. OBJECTIVES: To compare histopathological findings and the long-term course of SCI patients with bladder cancer found incidentally at the initial urological workup to those diagnosed with bladder cancer many years after the onset of SCI. SETTING: Spinal cord injury center in Germany. METHODS: Data and follow-up of consecutive in- and out-patients with SCI admitted at a tertiary spinal cord injury center between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2018 were screened retrospectively. All patients with acquired SCI were evaluated for pathological findings in the urinary bladder present at the time of SCI on the initial urological workup. Data of 37 long-term SCI patients from the same center with diagnosed bladder cancer and data of the general German population served as reference groups. Descriptive statistics were applied. RESULTS: In total, four patients with bladder cancer at initial urological workup were assessed. They all had non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Two of the patients were cystectomized 34 and 106 months after first bladder cancer diagnosis, due to relapsing tumor and progressive renal failure, respectively. In both cases no tumor was found in the resected bladder. All four patients are currently alive with no tumor and a mean follow-up of 105 months. CONCLUSIONS: In incidental bladder cancer observed at the initial urological workup after acquired SCI, the duration of SCI, at least in the first 5 years, does not noticeably contribute to a poor prognosis, i.e., progression to muscle invasive bladder cancer (≥T2) or a higher grading (G3).

Background Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is also a combat-related injury that is increasing in modern warfare. The aim of this work is to inform medical experts regarding the different course of bladder cancer in able-bodied patients compared with SCI patients based on the latest medical scientific knowledge, and to present decision-making aids for the assessment of bladder cancer as a late sequela of traumatic SCI. Methods A study conducted between January 1998 and December 2019 in the BG Trauma Hospital Hamburg formed the basis for the decision-making aids. Urinary bladder cancer was diagnosed in 40 out of 7396 treated outpatient and inpatient SCI patients. General patient information, latency period, age at initial diagnosis, type of bladder management and survival of SCI patients with bladder cancer were collected and analysed. T category, grading and tumour entity in these patients were compared with those in the general population. Relevant bladder cancer risk factors in SCI patients were analysed. Furthermore, relevant published literature was taken into consideration. Results Initial diagnosis of urinary bladder cancer in SCI patients occurs at a mean age of 56.4 years (SD ± 10.7 years), i.e., approximately 20 years earlier as compared with the general population. These bladder cancers are significantly more frequently muscle invasive (i.e., T category ≥ T2) and present a higher grade at initial diagnosis. Furthermore, SCI patients show a significantly higher proportion of the more aggressive squamous cell carcinoma than that of the general population in areas not endemic for the tropical disease schistosomiasis. Consequently, the survival time is extremely unfavourable. A very important finding, for practical reasons is that, in the Hamburg study as well as in the literature, urinary bladder cancer is more frequently observed after 10 years or more of SCI. Based on these findings, a matrix was compiled where the various influencing factors, either for or against the recognition of an association between SCI and urinary bladder cancer, were weighted according to their relevance. Conclusions The results showed that urinary bladder cancer in SCI patients differs considerably from that in able-bodied patients. The presented algorithm is an important aid in everyday clinical practice for assessing the correlation between SCI and bladder cancer.

Background. Neutralization of central nervous system neurite growth inhibitory factors, for example, Nogo-A, is a promising approach to improving recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI). In animal SCI models, intrathecal delivery of anti-Nogo-A antibodies promoted regenerative neurite growth and functional recovery. Objective. This first-in-man study assessed the feasibility, safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of the human anti-Nogo-A antibody ATI355 following intrathecal administration in patients with acute, complete traumatic paraplegia and tetraplegia. Methods. Patients (N = 52) started treatment 4 to 60 days postinjury. Four consecutive dose-escalation cohorts received 5 to 30 mg/2.5 mL/day continuous intrathecal ATI355 infusion over 24 hours to 28 days. Following pharmacokinetic evaluation, 2 further cohorts received a bolus regimen (6 intrathecal injections of 22.5 and 45 mg/3 mL, respectively, over 4 weeks). Results. ATI355 was well tolerated up to 1-year follow-up. All patients experienced ≥1 adverse events (AEs). The 581 reported AEs were mostly mild and to be expected following acute SCI. Fifteen patients reported 16 serious AEs, none related to ATI355; one bacterial meningitis case was considered related to intrathecal administration. ATI355 serum levels showed dose-dependency, and intersubject cerebrospinal fluid levels were highly variable after infusion and bolus injection. In 1 paraplegic patient, motor scores improved by 8 points. In tetraplegic patients, mean total motor scores increased, with 3/19 gaining >10 points, and 1/19 27 points at Week 48. Conversion from complete to incomplete SCI occurred in 7/19 patients with tetraplegia. Conclusions. ATI335 was well tolerated in humans; efficacy trials using intrathecal antibody administration may be considered in acute SCI.

The assistive robot system adaptive head motion control for user-friendly support (AMiCUS) has been developed to increase the autonomy of motion impaired people. The six degrees of freedom robot arm with gripper is controlled with head motion and head gestures only, so especially tetraplegics benefit from collaboration with AMiCUS. In this paper, a usability study with a total number of 30 subjects was conducted to validate the AMiCUS interaction technology and design. 24 able-bodied subjects of demographically diverse groups and 6 tetraplegics participated in this paper. All subjects performed different pick and place tasks by controlling AMiCUS. The evaluation of the interaction design was carried out subjectively with a questionnaire as well as objectively by measurement of time, completion rate, and number of trials for correct head gesture performance. The influence of several factors like age, sex, motion impairment, and previous experience on head motion-based human-robot interaction was analyzed. The interaction design has been proven successful in laboratory environment and assessed overall positive by the subjects. The results of the presented paper confirm the usability of the assistive robot AMiCUS. AMiCUS has the potential to benefit tetraplegics by improving their independence in activities of daily living and adapted workplaces.

Ein Erratum zu dieser Publikation wurde veröffentlicht: 10.1007/s00104-021-01364-2

Retrospective, single centre cohort study. To determine factors associated with ventilator weaning success and failure in patients with acute spinal cord injury (SCI); determine length of time and attempts required to wean from the ventilator successfully and determine the incidence of pneumonia. BG Klinikum Hamburg, Level 1 trauma centre, SCI Department, Germany. From 2010 until 2017, 165 consecutive patients with cervical SCI, initially dependent on a ventilator, were included and weaned discontinuously via tracheal cannula. Data related to anthropometric details, neurological injury, respiratory outcomes, and weaning parameters were prospectively recorded in a database and retrospectively analysed. Seventy-nine percent of all patients were successfully weaned from ventilation. Average duration of the complete weaning process was 37 days. Ninety-one percent of the successfully weaned patients completed this on first attempt. Age (>56 years), level of injury (C4 and/or above), vital capacity ( 25 kg/m2), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) significantly decreased the chance of successful weaning. These factors also correlated with a higher number of weaning attempts. High level of injury, older age, and reduced vital capacity also increased the duration of the weaning process. Patients with low vital capacity and concurrent therapy with Baclofen and Dantrolene showed higher rates of pneumonia. We conclude that mentioned factors are associated with weaning outcome and useful for clinical recommendations and patient counselling. These data further support the complexity of ventilator weaning in the SCI population due to associated complications, therefore we recommend conducting weaning of patients with SCI on intensive or intermediate care units (ICU/IMCU) in specialised centres.

Worldwide, the average prevalence of spinal cord injury (SCI) is estimated to be 1:1000, and the mean incidence is proposed to be between 4 and 9 cases per 100,000 population per year. Numbers vary substantially for different parts of the world. The mean incidence of SCI in developing countries is estimated to be 25.5/million/year with a range between 2.1 and 130.7/million/year. The incidence of SCI in industrialized countries ranges from 15 in Western Europe to 39/million/year in the USA. Most common causes for traumatic SCI are traffic accidents, falls, and results of violence, whereas the leading causes of non-traumatic SCI (NTSCI) are degenerative diseases and tumors (developed countries) and infections, particularly tuberculosis and HIV (developing countries). The majority of people with traumatic SCI are males (ratio men/women = 3:1), whereas in non-traumatic SCI, genders are almost equally distributed. Worldwide NTSCI increases significantly as well as the number of high-level tetraplegic patients with the need for permanent or artificial ventilation. In general, the percentage of tetraplegic patients has increased and nowadays equals that of paraplegic patients. Additionally, in industrialized countries, the mean age at the time of injury increases continuously, mostly due to older patients also experiencing SCI. The mortality rate in the first phase after SCI is directly linked to the availability and quality of primary care and rehabilitation approaches. Life expectancy is determined by the level of integration into a proper socioeconomic environment after initial treatment and directly related to the availability of qualified medical care in the event of complications such as pressure ulcers or urological problems.

Mit ca. 2000 neuen Fallen/Jahr in Deutschland ist die akute Querschnittlahmung (QSL) aus traumatischer oder nicht traumatischer Ursache quantitativ zwar ein weniger bedeutsames intensivmedizinisches Krankheitsbild als z.B. die Sepsis, gilt aber aufgrund der Auswirkungen auf den Patienten, der Komplexitat der Behandlung und auch der enormen Folgekosten als bedeutsames Krankheitsbild. Auserhalb spezialisierter Zentren besteht oft wenig Routine im Umgang mit Querschnittgelahmten, insbesondere bei hoher Halsmarklahmung. In Abhangigkeit von Lahmungshohe und -ausmas kann es sowohl in der Akutphase als auch in der weiteren stationaren Rehabilitation sowie der hauslichen Umgebung zu Komplikationen kommen, die eine intensivmedizinische Behandlung erfordern. Bei hoher oder ultrahoher QSL stellt die Dauerbeatmungspflicht zudem eine eigenstandige intensivmedizinische Behandlungsform dar, zu der inzwischen mehr Erfahrungen vorliegen. Neuere Therapieoptionen, wie z.B. die Implantation eines Zwerchfellnervenschrittmachers, erfordern die Auseinandersetzung mit dem Thema, da heute deutlich mehr Patienten mit (hoher) Querschnittlahmung rehabilitiert werden konnen und deren Lebenserwartung standig steigt.

Replacement of the cervical intervertebral disc by artificial implants, known as cervical total disc replacement (CTDR), is becoming a generally applied method instead of using the gold standard of the anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Hypothetically, the preserved mobility results in the protection of the neighboring segments. There is growing evidence that results in patients who underwent CTDR were not inferior when compared to results in patients who underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. The authors report a case of a healthy 53-year-old man who suffered an incomplete paraplegia below C-6 following the dislocation of an artificial CTDR device into the spinal canal with consequent compression of the spinal cord.

Mono-centric, retrospective study.Analysis of correlation between bladder management and age in respirator-dependant high-tetraplegic patients. Additionally suprapubic catheter (SPC) and intermittent catheterisation (IC) were reviewed concerning urological complications and quality of life (QoL).Level 1 trauma centre.A QoL questionnaire 'International Consultation on Incontinence' (ICIQ-SF) was sent to 56 tetraplegic respirator device-dependant (RDD)-spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. Their scores concerning urological morbidity were reviewed. For analysis reasons they were divided in three groups: SPC, IC and others.SPC 38, IC 12 and others 6 patients. Significant difference in age (SPC vs IC=49.9 vs 31.8 years) was observed but no disparity in gender. Within a follow-up period 2-26 years (median 8 years) significant urological complications in patients with IC (P0.05) were ascertained. These were in general minor complications. Especially renal deterioration or bladder cancer was not diagnosed in any of the group. The questionnaire return rate was high (83.9%) with complete answers (SPC=32, IC=11). Self assessment of QoL with ICIQ-SF revealed no significant difference for both groups on low level, but SPC patients tend to score better.In our study, tetraplegic RDD-SCI patients with SPC suffered less urological complications and tend to score a better QoL. Therefore we recommend SPC as a serious alternative for these selected patients and concurrently underline the necessity of close urological surveillance at least annually.

Monocentric cohort study.To investigate the acquisition of knowledge about spinal cord injury (SCI)-related complications in SCI patients.Level 1 trauma center.All patients with a traumatic or non-traumatic SCI were included in the study. Data were collected at admission, post-admission at 1 and 3 months and post-discharge at 6, 18 and 30 months. The discharge of all patients was between 3 and 6 months post-admission. Knowledge about pressure ulcers and bladder management was tested using the 'Knowledge' score. This score has a minimum and maximum of 0 and 20 points. To detect differences across the multiple time intervals, the Friedman test was used. Differences in the number of patients with poor (0-8), average (9-12) and good knowledge (13-20) between the different age classifications (age at injury) were calculated using a χ (2)-test.A total of 214 patients were included. At discharge subjects had increased their knowledge score to 11.2 compared with 5.4 on admission (P0.001). After 30 months, however, the mean score decreased to 10.8 points. At the time of discharge, the number of patients who achieved poor, average or good knowledge were 48 (22.4%), 65 (30.4%) and 101 (47.2%), respectively. Subjects of ∼50 years old and tetraplegics had better (P0.001) knowledge compared with subjects of ∼50 years old and paraplegics, respectively.In this study, less than 50% of SCI patients had good knowledge about bladder management and pressure ulcers after being discharged.

Item does not contain fulltext STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVES: To compare the neurological outcome between paraplegic patients with acute spinal cord ischaemia syndrome (ASCIS) or traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) and to investigate the influence of SCI aetiology on the total Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM)-II score. SETTING: Level 1 trauma centre. METHODS: Initial (0-40 days) and chronic-phase (6-12 months) American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) sensory scores, lower extremity motor score (LEMS) and chronic-phase total SCIM-II scores were analysed. Differences between ASCIS and tSCI patients were calculated using Student's t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. To assess which variables give rise to the prediction of total SCIM-II score, a multiple linear regression analysis was used. These predictor variables included complete (ASIA impairment scale A) or incomplete SCI (AIS B, C, and D), aetiology, age and gender. RESULTS: Out of 93 included patients, 20 ASCIS and 73 tSCI patients were identified. In the complete SCI group, the initial pinprick scores were higher (P

Derzeit wird ein Grosteil der in den Querschnittgelahmtenzentren erbrachten Leistungen mit krankenhausindividuell gestalteten Vertragen vergutet. Dies hat sich aufgrund der Inhomogenitat der Patientengruppen und der Verschiedenartigkeit der krankenhausspezifischen Leistungsangebote als sinnvoll erwiesen. Der Versuch, auch kleinste heterogene Patientengruppen in Fallpauschalen (DRG: „diagnosis related groups“) zu integrieren, gefahrdet die qualifizierte nachhaltige Versorgung gerade der am schwersten betroffenen Patienten.

Monocentric Cohort Study. Development of a multi-dimensional outcome score of the rehabilitation of spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. Level 1 Trauma centre with large spinal unit. During the rehabilitation of 161 patients with SCI between 2005 and 2007 following outcome parameters were assessed at different time points: functional status, pain, emotion, energy, sleep, social isolation, knowledge and self-management attitude. The results for these parameters were statistically evaluated with regard to different grades of paralysis and analyzed for socio-demographic influence factors. Correlation and factor analysis were then applied to evaluate the dependencies of the parameters and the dimensional structure of the applied score. For all factors a positive trend was found during the course of rehabilitation. Only the functional status is caused by spinal cord lesion. Age, sex and social isolation have no direct influence on the result with regard to functional status. For interactive dependencies of the parameters a three-dimensional structure was found: Success in the parameters, emotion, energy or social status, is independent of success in the parameter functional status. The result of the functional status is, next to the type of spinal injury, mainly influenced by the self-management attitude. The level of knowledge gained during rehabilitation is independent of the success in the other parameters. By the combination of functional, psychological and cognitive parameters into a result score it is possible to determine the quality of a rehabilitation process in its multiple dimensions and for different levels and grades of palsy. By this it is possible to analyze and compare the effectiveness and efficiency of rehabilitation on a national and international level. Longitudinal comparison of the long-term effects of rehabilitation after SCI is also possible, for example, in the course of follow-up examinations. Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung (German Statutory Occupational Accident Insurance).

Operative therapy of intraarticular fractures of the calcaneus is an established surgical standard. The aim is an accurate reduction of the fracture with reconstruction of Boehler’s angle, length, axis and subtalar joint surface. Intraoperative 3D-fluoroscopy with the Siremobil Iso-C 3D® mobile C-arm system is a valuable assistant for accurate reconstruction of these anatomical structures. Remaining incongruities can be recognized and corrected intraoperatively. The achieved reduction can be fixed by the advantages of an internal fixator (locked-screw plate interface). In the period of October 2002 until April 2007 we operated 136 patients with intraarticular fractures of the calcaneus by means of anatomical reduction, and internal plate fixator under intraoperative control of 3D-fluoroscopy. All patients were supplied with an orthesis after the operation which allowed weight bearing of 10 kg for 12 weeks for the patients operated between October 2002 and October 2004 (Group A). Transient local osteoporosis was observed in all X-Rays at follow-up after an average of 8,6 months. Therefore we changed our postoperative treatment plan for the patients operated between November 2004 and April 2007 (Group B). Weight bearing started with 20 KG after 6 weeks, was increased to 40 KG after 8 weeks and full weight bearing was allowed after 10 weeks for these patients. In no case a secondary dislocation of the fracture was seen. No bone graft was used. At follow up the average American Foot and Ankle Society Score (AOFAS) were 81 for Group_A, compared to 84 for Group B, treated with earlier weight bearing. Autologous bone graft was not necessary even if weight bearing was started after a period of six weeks postoperatively. The combination of 3D-fluoroscopy with locked internal fixation showed promising results. If the rate of patients developing subtalar arthrosis will decrease by this management will have to be shown in long term follow up.

Introduction. Cervical spinal cord injuries due to traumatic fractures are associated with persistent neurological deficits. Although clinical evidence is weak, early decompression, defined as Case Presentation. A 37-year-old patient was hospitalized after being hit by a shying horse. After diagnosis of C4/5 fracture dislocation and complete paraplegia, she was intubated and sedated with deep relaxation. Emergency reduction was performed at approximately 120 minutes after trauma. Subsequently, a standard anterior decompression, discectomy, and fusion were carried out. She was then transferred to a specialized rehabilitation hospital. Her neurologic function improved from AIS grade A on admission to grade B postoperatively and grade D after four months of rehabilitation. One year after the accident, she was ambulatory without walking aids and restarted horse riding.Discussion and Conclusion. Rarely in clinical practice, decompression of the spine canal can be performed as early as in this case. This case highlights the potential benefit of utmost early reduction in cervical fracture dislocations with compression of the spinal cord.

Non-interventional, descriptive-observational cohorts study.To assess the incidence of urinary tract infection (UTI) after urodynamic examination in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) according to bladder management.Level 1 trauma center.Between January and December 2010 a total of 133 consecutive, hospitalized SCI patients were included and classified according to their bladder management. Urine specimen was obtained at the beginning of the urodynamic studies (UDS) and 3-5 days thereafter. 'Significant bacteriuria' (SBU) is defined by a CBU per ml level ≥10(5) in a urine culture. UTI thus is defined as a combination of a SBU and ≥100 leukocytes per μl in urine analysis.The overall incidence of UTI post UDS was 15.79%. In patients with sterile urine prior to urodynamics UTI was ascertained in 8.6% (de-novo-UTI). In contrast, 32.5% of the patients with SBU prior to UDS showed UTI 3 days later. There were only minor differences in the incidence of de-novo-UTIs in SCI patients who emptied their bladder by intermittent self catheterization or intermittent catheterization by attendant (8.82% and 6.67%, respectively). In SCI patients with reflex voiding however, the frequency of de-novo-UTIs was twice as high (14.28%).The recommendation of antibiotic prophylaxis for all SCI patients undergoing urodynamic examination is not commonly accepted and according to our data not justified. However, the analysis of subgroups revealed that SCI patients with unsuspected SBU prior to UDS and patients with reflex voiding are possibly at higher risk to acquire post-UDS infection.

Item does not contain fulltext STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the causes of death in patients who were /= 10 years. Neurological assessments were performed according to the American Spinal Injury Association scale. Data on causes of death were analyzed using the ICD-10 classifications. Differences were calculated using the Mann-Whitney and chi-square tests. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients, with 38 and 62 surviving /= 10 years, respectively, were included. No significant differences in causes of death were identified between these two groups. In patients surviving >/= 10 years, paraplegia was associated with a higher life expectancy compared with tetraplegia, 34 and 25 years (p = 0.008), respectively, and the leading causes of death were septicemia (n = 14), ischemic heart disease (n = 10), neoplasms (n = 9), cerebrovascular diseases (n = 5), and other forms of heart diseases (n = 5). Septicemia, influenza/pneumonia, and suicide were the leading causes of death in tetraplegics, whereas ischemic heart disease, neoplasms, and septicemia were the leading causes of death in paraplegia. CONCLUSION: Our monocentric study showed that in 62 deceased patients with SCI, the leading causes of death were septicemia, cardiovascular diseases, neoplasms, and cerebrovascular diseases. In addition, no significant differences were identified between causes of death among patients surviving /= 10 years post-injury. 01 september 2011

Although there is a clear trend toward internal fixation for ankle arthrodesis, there is general consensus that external fixation is required for cases of posttraumatic infection. We retrospectively evaluated the technique and clinical long term results of external fixation in a triangular frame for cases of posttraumatic infection of the ankle. From 1993 to 2006 a consecutive series of 155 patients with an infection of the ankle was included in our study. 133 cases of the advanced "Gächter" stage III and IV were treated with arthrodesis. We treated the patients with a two step treatment plan. After radical debridement and sequestrectomy the malleoli and the joint surfaces were resected. An AO fixator was applied with two Steinmann-nails inserted in the tibia and in the calcaneus and the gap was temporary filled with gentamicin beads as the first step. In the second step we performed an autologous bone graft after a period of four weeks. The case notes were evaluated regarding trauma history, medical complaints, further injuries and illnesses, walking and pain status and occupational issues. Mean age at the index procedure was 49.7 years (18-82), 104 patients were male (67,1%). Follow up examination after mean 4.5 years included a standardised questionnaire and a clinical examination including the criteria of the AO-FAS-Score and radiographs. 92,7% of the cases lead to a stable arthrodesis. In 5 patients the arthrodesis was found partly-stable. In six patients (4,5%) the infection was not controllable during the treatment process. These patients had to be treated with a below knee amputation. The mean AOFAS score at follow up was 63,7 (53-92). Overall there is a high degree of remaining disability. The complication rate and the reduced patient comfort reserve this method mainly for infection. Joint salvage is possible in the majority of cases with an earlier stage I and II infection.

Item does not contain fulltext STUDY DESIGN: Prospective multi-center cohort study. OBJECTIVES: To compare the neurological and functional recovery between tetraplegic Brown-Sequard-plus syndrome (BSPS) and incomplete tetraplegia (non-BSPS). SETTING: European Multicenter Study of Human Spinal Cord Injury (EM-SCI). METHODS: BSPS was defined as a traumatic incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) with ipsilateral weakness and contralateral loss of pinprick sensation at neurologic levels C2-T1. Acute (0-15 days) and chronic phase (6 or 12 months) were assessed for the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) sensory scores, upper extremity motor scores and lower extremity motor scores. Furthermore, chronic phase scores of all Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) II items were analyzed. Differences in neurological and functional outcome between BSPS patients and non-BSPS patients were calculated using Student's t-tests and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. RESULTS: Out of 148 tetraplegic patients, 30 were diagnosed with BSPS. Patients with an ASIA impairment scale (AIS) B were significantly (P

Study Design. A prospective, controlled, open, randomized multicenter study. Objective. The study's objective was to demonstrate equivalence of a novel, moldable, resorbable, and degradable synthetic polymer (Bone Seal) compared with a collagen fleece (Lyostypt) in efficacy and safety for topical hemostasis after iliac crest bone graft harvesting. Summary of Background Data. Harvesting cortico-cancellous bone from the iliac crest is a well established procedure in orthopedic and particularly in spine surgery. It is associated with significant morbidity at the donor site where hematoma formation may cause impaired wound healing and infections in up to 10% of cases. Methods. A total of 112 patients were included in the safety analysis. Safety was determined by a compound wound healing score and the incidence of adverse clinical effects. One hundred and eight patients were studied for equivalence in efficacy using a compound bleeding score. The handling properties and the application to the bone surface of either device were measured with two additional compound scores. Results. The mean bleeding scores in the final analysis was 4.5 ± 1.3 for the Bone Seal group and 4.2 ± 1.3 for the collagen fleece group. Bone Seal was better applicable to the bleeding bone surfaces than the collagen fleece, even though its handling was more complicated. Wound healing and the incidences of adverse clinical events were comparable in either study group. Conclusions. Bone Seal is an effective and safe hemostatic material for sealing bleeding bone surfaces after iliac crest bone graft harvesting. By virtue of its hemostatic efficacy, Bone Seal is preventive for wound healing disorders.

Dr Silver addresses the importance of applying strict inclusion criteria to investigate a homogeneous group of patients.