The misapplication of the term spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality (SCIWORA) in adults.


Como JJ et al. – Spinal cord injury without computed tomography evidence of trauma (SCIWOCTET) is mainly a disease of adults, and its subset Spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality (SCIWORA), a disease of children, is much less common. Adults with this disease have computed tomographic (CT) scans showing canal stenosis and significant degenerative changes in the cervical spine; thus, it is not accurate to state that they have SCIWORA. The characteristics of this patient population are important as SCIWOCTET is the concern when clearing the cervical spines of trauma patients with a CT scan of the cervical spine negative for injury.

Source: Journal of Trauma

 

 

 

Effect of slosh mitigation on histologic markers of traumatic brain injury.


Helmets successfully prevent most cranial fractures and skull traumas, but traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussions continue to occur with frightening frequency despite the widespread use of helmets on the athletic field and battlefield. Protection against such injury is needed. The object of this study was to determine if slosh mitigation reduces neural degeneration, gliosis, and neuroinflammation.

Methods

Two groups of 10 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to impact-acceleration TBI. One group of animals was fitted with a collar inducing internal jugular vein (IJV) compression prior to injury, whereas the second group received no such collar prior to injury. All rats were killed 7 days postinjury, and the brains were fixed and embedded in paraffin. Tissue sections were processed and stained for markers of neural degeneration (Fluoro-Jade B), gliosis (glial fibrillary acidic protein), and neuroinflammation (ionized calcium binding adapter molecule 1).

Results

Compared with the controls, animals that had undergone IJV compression had a 48.7%–59.1% reduction in degenerative neurons, a 36.8%–45.7% decrease in reactive astrocytes, and a 44.1%–65.3% reduction in microglial activation.

Conclusions

The authors concluded that IJV compression, a form of slosh mitigation, markedly reduces markers of neurological injury in a common model of TBI. Based on findings in this and other studies, slosh mitigation may have potential for preventing TBI in the clinical population.

Source: Journal of neurosurgery.