Controversies in the Treatment of Central Cord Injuries

Central cord injury or central cord syndrome is an acute cervical spinal cord injury characterized by more extensive motor weakness of the upper extremities compared with the lower extremities, usually with bladder dysfunction, and variable sensory loss below the level of the lesion. Central cord syndrome is the most common type of incomplete spinal cord injury pattern and is associated with a moderate to good prognosis. Over the last five decades, the role of surgical intervention, as well as the type and timing of surgery, continues to be the subject of considerable debate. These controversies are the focus of this article.