Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jul 1999
Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical TrialCurrent use and timing of spinal surgery for management of acute spinal surgery for management of acute spinal cord injury in North America: results of a retrospective multicenter study.
A multicenter retrospective study was performed in 36 North American centers to examine the use and timing of surgery in patients who have sustained acute spinal cord injury (SCI). The study was performed to obtain information required for the planning of a randomized controlled trial in which early and late decompressive surgery are compared. ⋯ These data indicate that although surgery is commonly performed in patients with acute SCI, one third of cases are managed nonoperatively, and there is very little agreement on the optimum timing of surgical treatment. The results of this study confirm the need for a randomized controlled trial to assess the optimum timing of decompressive surgery in SCI.