Tissue bridges predict neuropathic pain emergence after spinal cord injury

This study investigates the relationship between preserved spinal cord tissue, specifically ventral and dorsal tissue bridges, and the development of neuropathic pain after a spinal cord injury. The researchers measured the width of these tissue bridges using MRI scans and compared them between patients who developed neuropathic pain and those who remained pain-free. The findings suggest that larger ventral tissue bridges are associated with the emergence and maintenance of neuropathic pain, potentially serving as biomarkers for predicting and monitoring pain outcomes after spinal cord injuries.

• 1
  Patients with neuropathic pain had larger ventral tissue bridges at 1 month compared to pain-free patients.
• 2
  Larger width of ventral tissue bridges at 1 month was associated with a higher mean pain intensity at 1 month.
• 3
  Ventral tissue bridges at 1 month were identified as predictors of recovery of pin-prick scores at 12 months, with a cut-off value of 2.1 mm.