Mensah, E. O., Chalif, J. I., Johnston, B. R., Chalif, E., Parker, T., Izzy, S., He, Z., Saigal, R., Fehlings, M. G., & Lu, Y. (2025). Traumatic spinal cord injury: a review of the current state of art and future directions - what do we know and where are we going? North American Spine Society Journal (NASSJ), 22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xnsj.2025.100601

The presently reviewed study by Mensah et al is part of a focus issue in the North American Spine Society Journal (NASSJ) that highlights work of the North American Spine Society’s sections. This review was presented on behalf of the Section on Spinal Cord Injury and searched the PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases from January 2000 to October 1, 2024 to summarize articles on the current and developing management strategies for spinal cord injury (SCI). Study selection was based on relevance to SCI pathophysiology, current and developing management approaches, and clinical outcomes, with prioritized inclusion of systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized control trials, and high-quality observational studies.

The first portion of the review focused on current management practices. Background information related to primary and secondary phases of SCI was presented. Immediate management for SCI requires resuscitation, immobilization, and maintenance of mean arterial pressures (MAPs).  The controversial use of methylprednisolone was then reviewed with a discussion of the National Spinal Cord Injury Study (NASCIS) trials. The importance of balancing potential advantages and risks were presented, and society recommendations regarding this topic were summarized.