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Review
. 2025 May 22;14(11):3649.
doi: 10.3390/jcm14113649.

Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: Review of the Literature

Lori Zarmer  1 , Maaz Khan  2 , Glenn Islat  1 , Hanan Alameddin  1 , Maria Massey  1 , Rabail Chaudhry  1
Affiliations
Review

Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: Review of the Literature

Lori Zarmer et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) is a devastating neurological disorder with profound effects on physical, psychological, and mental abilities. tSCI affects all age groups, with a higher incidence in elderly patients. There are many causes of tSCI, with motor vehicle accidents (MVA) and falls being the most common. The pathophysiology of tSCI is quite complex and involves primary and secondary injury. The primary injury directly results from the mechanical forces that caused the injury. Secondary injury is caused by long-term changes caused by inflammation, immune changes, and the formation of free radicals. Numerous studies have explored various medical and surgical treatment options that help mitigate long-term damage caused by tSCI and help improve quality of life. Currently, there are no treatments for tSCI that can reverse spinal cord damage or fully restore motor and sensory functions. However, many pharmacological and non-pharmacological options are being studied in tSCI patients. This review will discuss the background, pathophysiology, and clinical presentation of tSCI while also providing a detailed analysis of the recent advancements in treatment options.

Keywords: ASIA score; SCI; neurological deficits; spinal cord injury; spinal injury; trauma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Illustration of tSCI Injury. Created in https://BioRender.com. Accessed on 15 April 2025.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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