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Hersh AM, Davidar AD, Weber-Levine C, Raj D, Alomari S, Judy BF, Theodore N. Advancements in the treatment of traumatic spinal cord injury during military conflicts. Neurosurg Focus 2022; 53:E15. [DOI: 10.3171/2022.6.focus22262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Significant advancements in the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI) were developed in the setting of military conflicts, partly due to the large numbers of injuries sustained by service members. No effective SCI treatment options existed into the early 20th century, and soldiers who sustained these injuries were usually considered untreatable. Extensive progress was made in SCI treatment during and after World War II, as physical therapy was increasingly encouraged for patients with SCI, multidisciplinary teams oversaw care, pathophysiology was better understood, and strategies were devised to prevent wound infection and pressure sores. Recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have caused a substantial rise in the proportion of SCIs among causes of casualties and wounds, largely due to new forms of war and weapons, such as improvised explosive devices. Modern military SCIs resulting from blast mechanisms are substantively different from traumatic SCIs sustained by civilians. The treatment paradigms developed over the past 100 years have increased survival rates and outcomes of soldiers with SCI. In this paper, the authors review the role of military conflicts in the development of therapeutic interventions for SCI and discuss how these interventions have improved outcomes for soldiers and civilians alike.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. Hersh
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - A. Daniel Davidar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Carly Weber-Levine
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Divyaansh Raj
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Safwan Alomari
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Brendan F. Judy
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Nicholas Theodore
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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Rodts GE. 2010 CNS Presidential Address. Neurosurgical pioneers: foundation for future innovation. Neurosurgery 2011; 58:1-6. [PMID: 21916121 DOI: 10.1227/neu.0b013e3182269d28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gerald E Rodts
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Schalick WO. Chapter 7: neurological conditions in the European Middle Ages. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2010; 95:79-90. [PMID: 19892110 DOI: 10.1016/s0072-9752(08)02107-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
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