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Evaluation of Parameters of Serially Monitored F-wave in Acute Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
Department of Restorative Medicine of Neuro-musculoskeretal System, Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School
Objective: In this study, we aimed to determine how physicians can evaluate the severity of acute traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) and predict the prognosis of this injury using the relationships of changes in clinical features and electrophysiological examination results.
Materials and Methods: Serial recordings of F-waves were performed on 20 consecutive cervical SCI patients. In 12 of the patients, changes in several parameters of F-waves which were elicited by median and ulnar nerve stimulations were examined by analyzing their relationships to clinical symptoms.
Results: The maximum amplitude of the F-waves (F-max) elicited by median nerve stimulation was found to be the most reliable (statistically significant) parameter for distinguishing clinically improved patients from nonimproved patients for the prognosis in the early stages after trauma. Other parameters, including the incidence of F-waves and the mean F-wave amplitude both of which were elicited by median nerve stimulation, were somewhat helpful for predicting the prognosis. These parameters of F-waves evoked by ulnar nerve stimulation could be useful for several weeks post-trauma.
J Nippon Med Sch 2007; 74: 106-113
Keywords
cervical spinal cord injury, F-wave, prognosis, functional recovery
Correspondence to
Yong Kim, Department of Restorative Medicine of Neuro-musculoskeretal System, Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8603, Japan
ichijo@nms.ac.jp
Received, December 12, 2006
Accepted, December 29, 2006
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