Canadian-American Spinal Cord Perfusion Pressure and Biomarker Study

This multicenter study will enroll 100 patients with acute traumatic cervical and thoracic SCI who have a lumbar intrathecal catheter inserted within 24 hours of their injury. The lumbar intrathecal catheter will be inserted pre-operatively for the measurement of ITP and the collection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. SCPP will be calculated as the difference between MAP and the ITP. There are two important distinct yet related objectives in this prospective interventional study. 1. Determine the effect of SCPP maintenance ≥ 65 mmHg in acute SCI on neurologic recovery as measured by ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS) grade conversion and motor score improvement. 2. Collect CSF and blood samples for the measurement of neurochemical biomarkers and storage for future biomarker discovery and validation studies.

Objective 1. To determine if actively maintaining an SCPP of at least 65 mmHg with a combination of MAP augmentation and CSF drainage promotes better neurologic recovery than routine hemodynamic management that focuses solely on MAP augmentation. Objective 2. To determine if actively maintaining an SCPP of at least 65 mmHg with a combination of MAP augmentation and CSF drainage will allow for a reduction in the usage of vasopressors in acute SCI. Objective 3. To determine the feasibility of draining CSF to reduce ITP in the acute post-injury setting, when the cord may be swollen against the dura causing subarachnoid space occlusion at the injury site. Objective 4. To determine if there are complications associated with the installation of the intrathecal catheter and drainage of CSF in the acute SCI patient.