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Medical Services

» New Spinal Cord Injuries Study Says Conducting Surgeries Earlier Could Prevent More Nerve Damage

Published 09/20/2007 | Medical Services | Unrated

A new study reveals that conducting surgeries earlier when treating spinal cord injuries could lead to better results and less damage to injury victims.

Currently, surgeries for spinal cord injuries are usually performed five days or more after the injury occurred. The surgery is intended to hopefully fix the spine and alleviate pressure. Most injury patients are able to get at least some function back in their limbs, hands, toes, and fingers after a surgery.

Over 300,000 Americans with spinal cord injuries are in wheelchairs.

» GPS-like Technology Helps Pinpoint Best Methods For Moving Injured Players

Published 09/17/2007 | Medical Services | Rating:

The 15 minutes it took to remove Buffalo Bills player Kevin Everett off the field after he suffered a spinal cord injury may seem like a long time for someone needing acute medical care, but in fact, those minutes underscore how critical it is to carefully move a player with a suspected spinal cord injury off the field.

It also highlights the challenges faced when needing to minimize any further movement to an injured spinal cord.

And those challenges have been the focus over the past eight years for Glenn Rechtine, M.D., professor of Orthopaedics at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and president of the American Spinal Injury Association. He and his colleagues believe they now know the best methods to move injured players off the field thanks to GPS-like technology.

» Ventilatory Care in Patients with SCI

Published 10/4/2003 | Medical Services | Rating:

The breathing muscles are supplied by nerves that emerge from the spinal cord in various locations, from the cervical through the lumbar levels.

"Even the abdominal muscles are involved in breathing," said Joshua O. Benditt, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Pulmonary Division. Injury to the spinal cord at or above these levels therefore affects the ability to breathe. "The higher up the lesion is, the more serious the effect on the breathing system. In fact, you can almost predict from the injury level the degree of breathing function a patient will have," Benditt said.

» Spasticity Evaluation System

Published 10/4/2003 | Medical Services | Unrated

The Spasticity Evaluation System is based on an electromechanical method of eliciting and measuring spasticity at the ankle. The system has been used to evaluate spasticity and contracture in SCI, TBI and CP patients. Other medical conditions with abnormal elastic and viscous ankle joint stiffness can also be evaluated.

» Exacerbating cervical spine injury by applying a hard collar.

Published 07/17/1999 | Medical Services | Unrated

Neck immobilisation is vital in patients with suspected cervical spine injuries and generally involves applying a hard cervical collar--usually by ambulance crew, nurses, or junior doctors.