Journal of Neurotrauma, 2022 · DOI: 10.1089/neu.2021.0351 · Published: May 1, 2022
This study aimed to identify factors that predict how well elderly patients recover from cervical spinal cord injuries (CSCI) without major bone damage. The study looked at patients aged 65 and older who had this type of injury. The research examined things like the patient's age, weight, MRI results, and other health problems to see which ones were linked to better or worse recovery. The goal was to improve treatment and rehabilitation for these patients. The researchers found that factors such as body mass index, MRI findings, the severity of the injury at the start, cognitive issues like dementia, and lung infections after the injury all played a role in how well patients recovered their ability to walk.
Promoting rehabilitation measures to reduce cognitive changes, prevent post-injury pneumonia, and manage unhealthy body weight changes can contribute to greater neurological improvement in AIS A–C cases.
Careful consideration should be given to surgical treatment in elderly patients with CSCI without major bone injury, as the prognosis for neurological status is difficult to predict in the acute phase, and these patients are at high risk for complications.
The severity of paralysis on admission has a major impact on functional outcomes, suggesting early and accurate neurological assessment is critical.