Spinal cord injury-The role of surgical treatment for neurological improvement

Acute spinal cord injury (ASCI) is common and no consensuses have been reached regarding timing of surgical decompression. This article highlights the main issues regarding surgical management of ASCI patients. The importance of timing of surgery along with physiological stability of the cord, and indications for surgery has been discussed to facilitate better understanding of the condition. The importance of the type of injury to the spinal column, besides the cord injury, is also discussed. A brief review of relevant literature has been done to try and answer the question whether early or late surgical treatment for ASCI is better than conservative management, reflecting the ethos of treatment for these problems in Robert Jones And Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry.