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. 2023 May 4;18(5):e0285006.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285006. eCollection 2023.

Definition and surgical timing in cauda equina syndrome-An updated systematic review

Mohammad A Mustafa  1   2 , George E Richardson  1   2 , Conor S Gillespie  1   2 , Abdurrahman I Islim  1   2 , Martin Wilby  2 , Simon Clark  2 , Nisaharan Srikandarajah  2
Affiliations

Definition and surgical timing in cauda equina syndrome-An updated systematic review

Mohammad A Mustafa et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Study design: Systematic review.

Objectives: To conduct a systematic review identifying existing definitions of cauda equina syndrome (CES) and time to surgery in the literature for patients with CES.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement. Ovid Medline, Embase, CINAHL Plus, and trial registries were searched from October 1st, 2016, to 30th December 2022, and combined with articles identified from a previous systematic review by the same authors (studies published 1990-2016).

Results: A total of 110 studies (52,008 patients) were included. Of these only 16 (14.5%) used established definitions in defining CES, including Fraser criteria (n = 6), British Association of Spine Surgeons (BASS) (n = 5), Gleave and MacFarlane (n = 2), and other (n = 3). Most reported symptoms were urinary dysfunction (n = 44, 40%%), altered sensation in the perianal region (n = 28, 25.5%) and bowel dysfunction (n = 20, 18.2%). Sixty-eight (61.8%) studies included details on time to surgery. There was an increase in percentage of studies defining CES published in the last 5 years compared to ones from 1990-2016 (58.6% vs 77.5.%, P = .045).

Conclusions: Despite Fraser recommendations, substantial heterogeneity exists in reporting of CES definitions, and a start point for time to surgery, with most authors using self-defined criteria. A consensus is required to define CES and time to surgery, to allow consistency in reporting and study analysis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. PRISMA flowchart detailing the search, screening process, and final inclusion of studies.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Ridge-line plot representing reporting of symptoms and guidelines to define CES, over time.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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