Current use and timing of spinal surgery for management of acute spinal cord injury in North America: results of a retrospective multicenter study

Abstract

These data indicate that although surgery is commonly performed in patients with acute SCI, one third of cases are managed nonoperatively, and there is very little agreement on the optimum timing of surgical treatment. The results of this study confirm the need for a randomized controlled trial to assess the optimum timing of decompressive surgery in SCI.