Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound in the Treatment of Acute Spinal Cord Injury

Description

Patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) often suffer from spinal cord swelling inside the thecal sac, which contains the spinal cord and surrounding fluid, leading to increased pressure on the spinal cord tissue and decreased spinal cord blood flow at the site of injury. The combination of increased pressure and decreased blood flow causes vascular hypoperfusion of the spinal cord and exacerbates the severity of injury. This is also referred to as secondary injury. Thus, knowledge of spinal cord hypoperfusion would allow the treating physician to optimize the hemodynamic condition of the patient with acute spinal cord injury and potentially improve functional outcomes.

Conditions

Acute Spinal Cord Injury

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

Patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) often suffer from spinal cord swelling inside the thecal sac, which contains the spinal cord and surrounding fluid, leading to increased pressure on the spinal cord tissue and decreased spinal cord blood flow at the site of injury. The combination of increased pressure and decreased blood flow causes vascular hypoperfusion of the spinal cord and exacerbates the severity of injury. This is also referred to as secondary injury. Thus, knowledge of spinal cord hypoperfusion would allow the treating physician to optimize the hemodynamic condition of the patient with acute spinal cord injury and potentially improve functional outcomes.

Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Biomarker for Prognostication and Guidance of Surgical Treatment in Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound in the Treatment of Acute Spinal Cord Injury

Condition
Acute Spinal Cord Injury
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Seattle

University of Washington Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, United States, 98104

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * 18 years of age minimum
  • * Acute spinal cord injury fpr less than 24 hours
  • * Injury ranging from mild spinal cord injury where motor function is preserved (AIS A) to complete injury where there is no motor or sensory function below the leel of the injury (AIS D)
  • * Medically stable to undergo routine dorsal decompression, spinal realignment
  • * and stabilizing with segmental instrumentation
  • * Younger than 18 years old
  • * Neurological lower extremity exam missing or intact
  • * Traumatic head injury with a Glasgow score of 11 or lower
  • * Cord injury level caudal to T10 (thoracic spine level 10)
  • * A known sensitivity to lipid microsphere or its components, such as polyethylene glycol (PEG)
  • * A history of anaphylactoid reactions from ultrasound enhancing agents
  • * A known history of cardiopulmonary conditions
  • * Cardiac shunt

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

University of Washington,

Christoph Hofstetter, MD, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of Washington

Study Record Dates

2027-12-15