Peripheral Neuropathy in the Lower Limbs of Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury or Disease: A Retrospective Study. 2021

Jason Liang, and Julio C Furlan
From the Department of Medicine, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (JL, JCF); and KITE - Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (JCF).

This study investigated the frequency and types of peripheral neuropathy in the lower limbs of patients undergoing rehabilitation after traumatic spinal cord injury or spinal cord disease. This study included consecutive patients with spinal cord injury/spinal cord disease who had electrophysiological assessments during their admission in a rehabilitation center from October 2015 to July 2019. Patients with traumatic spinal cord injury were compared with patients with nontraumatic spinal cord disease. There were 67 patients (52 male patients, 15 female patients; mean age = 56.5 yrs) of whom 36 patients had spinal cord injury and 31 patients had spinal cord disease. Most of the patients were middle-aged men with at least one preexisting medical comorbidity, who were mostly admitted for rehabilitation of cervical, incomplete spinal cord injury/spinal cord disease. Most patients (86.6%) had abnormal electrophysiological studies representing 5.57% of all admissions. A length-dependent polyneuropathy was diagnosed in 0.77% of all admissions (n = 8). The group of patients with spinal cord injury was comparable with the group of patients with spinal cord disease regarding the other baseline data, clinical, and electrophysiological findings. Diseases of the peripheral nervous system were similarly found among patients undergoing rehabilitation for either spinal cord injury or spinal cord disease. A length-dependent polyneuropathy was diagnosed in 0.77% of all admissions. Timely diagnosis and proper treatment of the cause of peripheral neuropathies in the lower limbs in these patients may potentially influence rehabilitation protocols and improve patient outcomes.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D010523 Peripheral Nervous System Diseases Diseases of the peripheral nerves external to the brain and spinal cord, which includes diseases of the nerve roots, ganglia, plexi, autonomic nerves, sensory nerves, and motor nerves. Peripheral Nerve Diseases,Peripheral Neuropathies,PNS (Peripheral Nervous System) Diseases,PNS Diseases,Peripheral Nervous System Disease,Peripheral Nervous System Disorders,Nerve Disease, Peripheral,Nerve Diseases, Peripheral,Neuropathy, Peripheral,PNS Disease,Peripheral Nerve Disease,Peripheral Neuropathy
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000066530 Neurological Rehabilitation Physician-supervised programs designed to rehabilitate people with diseases, trauma, or disorders of the NERVOUS SYSTEM. Neurologic Rehabilitation,Neurorehabilitation,Rehabilitation, Neurologic,Rehabilitation, Neurological
D000367 Age Factors Age as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or the effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from AGING, a physiological process, and TIME FACTORS which refers only to the passage of time. Age Reporting,Age Factor,Factor, Age,Factors, Age
D012189 Retrospective Studies Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons. Retrospective Study,Studies, Retrospective,Study, Retrospective
D012584 Sciatic Nerve A nerve which originates in the lumbar and sacral spinal cord (L4 to S3) and supplies motor and sensory innervation to the lower extremity. The sciatic nerve, which is the main continuation of the sacral plexus, is the largest nerve in the body. It has two major branches, the TIBIAL NERVE and the PERONEAL NERVE. Nerve, Sciatic,Nerves, Sciatic,Sciatic Nerves
D012720 Severity of Illness Index Levels within a diagnostic group which are established by various measurement criteria applied to the seriousness of a patient's disorder. Illness Index Severities,Illness Index Severity

Related Publications

Jason Liang, and Julio C Furlan
May 2013, European journal of neurology,
Jason Liang, and Julio C Furlan
September 1981, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation,
Jason Liang, and Julio C Furlan
September 2015, The journal of spinal cord medicine,
Jason Liang, and Julio C Furlan
June 2021, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation,
Copied contents to your clipboard!