Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy for acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury

Study design: A retrospective study of spinal cord injury (SCI) treated with and without hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy. Objectives: To report on the use of HBO in spinal cord injury. Setting: Neurosurgical Unit, Tokyo, Japan. Methods: Thirty-four cases of hyperextension spinal cord injury without bone damage and previous history of surgical intervention were divided into two groups, with (HBO) or without (non-HBO) therapy. The neurological findings at admission and their outcomes were evaluated by means of Neurological Cervical Spine Scale (NCSS)(1) and the average improvement rates in individual groups were compared. Results: The improvement rate ranged from 100% to 27.3% with the mean value of 75.2% in the HBO group, while these values were 100%, 25.0% and 65.1% respectively in the non HBO group. Conclusion: In the HBO group, the improvement rate indicated effectiveness in acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury.