The relationship between the structural changes in the cervical spinal cord and sensorimotor function of children with thoracolumbar spinal cord injury (TLSCI)

This study examines the relationship between structural changes in the cervical spinal cord and sensorimotor function in children with traumatic thoracolumbar spinal cord injury (TLSCI). The goal is to identify objective imaging biomarkers for evaluating functional status. Researchers used MRI to measure morphologic parameters of the spinal cord at the C2/3 level, including cross-sectional area (CSA), anterior-posterior width (APW), and left-right width (LRW). These measurements were then correlated with clinical scores from ISNCSCI examinations. The study found that CSA and LRW were significantly lower in the AIS A/B group (motor complete) compared to the TD group and the AIS C/D group (motor incomplete). LRW was the most sensitive imaging biomarker for differentiating between the two TLSCI groups.

• 1
  CSA and LRW in the AIS A/B group were significantly lower than those in the TD group and the AIS C/D group, indicating spinal cord atrophy is related to the severity of the injury.
• 2
  LRW was identified as the most sensitive imaging biomarker to differentiate the AIS A/B group from the AIS C/D group, suggesting its potential to evaluate motor function preservation.
• 3
  Both CSA and APW were positively correlated with ISNCSCI sensory scores, suggesting they can reflect sensory function in children with TLSCI.