[Methylprednisolone in the treatment of acute spinal cord injury has become more and more questioned]

Abstract

Methylprednisolone (MP) has, through the results from the clinical multi-center studies National Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study II and III, during the 1990's become standard treatment in acute spinal cord injury (ASCI). Critical reappraisals of the data have later shown that analyses have been made on subgroups of the study-populations and argue that the results are based on statistical artefacts. This, combined with the failure to show improved functional recovery, puts into question earlier conclusions drawn on the efficacy of MP on ASCI. This review of the recent literature on the subject concludes that there is no scientific evidence to support MP as standard treatment in ASCI.