To elucidate the incidence and risk factors for pneumonia after acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI).Retrospective cohort study.Setting: Spinal injuries center in Japan.Participants: Of 184 individuals who were admitted within 2 weeks after acute traumatic cervical spinal injuries, 167 individuals who met the criteria were included in this study.Interventions: The occurrence of pneumonia, degree of dysphagia using the Dysphagia Severity Scale, patient age, history of smoking, presence of tracheostomy, vital capacity, level of injury, and the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) 2 weeks after injury were assessed.Outcomes: Incidence of pneumonia were analyzed. Moreover, the risk factors of pneumonia were evaluated using logistic regression analysis.From the 167 individuals who met the criteria, 30 individuals (18%) had pneumonia; in 26 (87%) of these individuals, pneumonia was aspiration related, defined as Dysphagia Severity Scale ≤ 4. The median occurrence of aspiration pneumonia was 11.5 days after injury. A logistic regression analysis revealed that severe AIS and severe Dysphagia Severity Scale scores were significant risk factors of pneumonia after CSCI.It was highly likely that the pneumonias following CSCI were related to aspiration based on the Dysphagia Severity Scale. In addition, most of the patients developed aspiration pneumonia within 1 month after injury. Aspiration and severe paralysis were significant risk factors for pneumonia. The treatment of dysphagia in the acute phase should be considered an important indicator to prevent pneumonia.
Retrospective analysis using kinetic magnetic resonance images (MRIs).To investigate the relationship of changes in the sagittal alignment of the cervical spine on the kinematics of the functional motion unit and disc degeneration.Normal lordotic alignment is one of the most important factors contributing to effective motion and function of the cervical spine. Loss of normal lordotic alignment may induce pathologic changes in the kinematics and accelerate degeneration of the functional motion unit. However, the relationship of altered alignment on kinematics and degeneration has not been evaluated.Kinetic MRIs in flexion, neutral, and extension were performed. Study participants were classified into 5 groups based on the C1-C7 Cobb angle of sagittal alignment--Group A: Kyphosis (n = 19), Group B: Straight (n = 29), Group C: Hypolordosis (n = 38), Group D: Normal (n = 63), and Group E: Hyperlordosis (n = 52).Intervertebral disc degeneration was graded (Grades 1-5), and the kinematics of the functional spinal unit were obtained.When the alignment shifted from normal to less lordotic, the translational motion and angular variation tended to decrease at all levels. The contribution of the C1-C2, C2-C3, and C3-C4 levels to total angular mobility tended to be higher in Group C than Group D. However, the contribution of the C4-C5, C5-C6, and C6-C7 levels tended to be lower in Group C than in Group D. The grade of disc degeneration associated with loss of lordosis tended to be higher than that associated with normal alignment at the C2-C3 and C3-C4 levels.The present study demonstrated that the changes in sagittal alignment of the cervical spine affect the kinematics. Consequently, it may cause changes in the segment subjected to maximum load for overall motion and accelerate its degeneration.
Study Design Retrospective case series. Purpose To clarify the influence of cervical spinal canal stenosis (CSCS) on neurological functional recovery after traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) without major fracture or dislocation. Overview of Literature The biomechanical etiology of traumatic CSCI remains under discussion and its relationship with CSCS is one of the most controversial issues in the clinical management of traumatic CSCI. Methods To obtain a relatively uniform background, patients non-surgically treated for an acute C3–4 level CSCI without major fracture or dislocation were selected. We analyzed 58 subjects with traumatic CSCI using T2-weighted mid-sagittal magnetic resonance imaging. The sagittal diameter of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) column, degree of canal stenosis, and neurologic outcomes in motor function, including improvement rate, were assessed. Results There were no significant relationships between sagittal diameter of the CSF column at the C3–4 segment and their American Spinal Injury Association motor scores at both admission and discharge. Moreover, no significant relationships were observed between the sagittal diameter of the CSF column at the C3–4 segment and their neurological recovery during the following period. Conclusions No relationships between pre-existing CSCS and neurological outcomes were evident after traumatic CSCI. These results suggest that decompression surgery might not be recommended for traumatic CSCI without major fracture or dislocation despite pre-existing CSCS. Keywords: Cervical spinal canal stenosis; Cervical spinal cord injury without major fracture or dislocation; Magnetic resonance imaging; Neurological outcome
Retrospective, observational, case series.To elucidate the prevalence of degenerative changes in the cervical and lumbar spine and estimate the degenerative changes in the cervical spine based on the degeneration of lumbar disc through a retrospective review of magnetic resonance (MR) images.Over 50% of middle-aged adults show evidence of spinal degeneration. However, the relationship between degenerative changes in the cervical and lumbar spine has yet to be elucidated.A retrospective review of positional MR images of 152 patients with symptoms related to cervical and lumbar spondylosis with or without a neurogenic component was conducted. The degree of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) was assessed on a grade of 1-5 for each segment of the cervical and lumbar spine using MR T2-weighted sagittal images. The grades across all segments were summed to produce the degenerative disc score (DDS) for the cervical and lumbar spine. The patients were divided into two groups based on the IDD grade for each lumbar segment: normal (grades 1 and 2) and degenerative (grades 3-5).DDSs for the cervical and lumbar spine were positively correlated. Significant differences in cervical DDSs between the groups were observed in all lumbar segments. Although there were no significant differences in cervical DDSs among the degenerative lumbar segment, cervical DDSs at the L1-2 and L2-3 segments tended to be higher than those at the L3-4, L4-5, and L5-S degenerative segments.Our study shows that participants with degenerative changes in the upper lumbar segments are more likely to have a certain amount of cervical spondylosis. This information could be used to lower the incidence of a missed diagnosis of cervical spine disorders in patients presenting with lumbar spine symptomology.
Giant cell tumor of (GCT) tendon shearh is rarely seen in finger joint. We report a case of giant cell tumors occurring in the matacarpo-phalangeal joint (MPJ) of right index finger.A 32-years-old woman accidentally struck her right index finger with a flower-pot. After the episode she noticed, she couldn't fully extend the MPJ of right index finger. She visited our clinic 1.5 months after the accident.On examination a round small tumor on dorsal side of the MPJ of right index finger. She told us, she had received operation for giant cell tumor of the same finger several years ago. At that time this tumor had not been removed and left. Active and passive extension of the MPJ of right index finger was -25°. Diagnosis of locking of the MPJ of right index finger and GCT of tendon sheath was made and operation was carried out. The tumor was excised. On exploration of the joint a 0.6×0.4cm oval, yellowish-brown tumor sprung out, an another smaller tumor was found in the joint. After these tumors were excised the joint was unlocked by partial resection of cartilage of medial edge of the second metacarpal head. The post operative course was uneventful. The pathologic diagnosis of the tree tumors was GCT of tendon sheath.
