Abstract
Study design:
Clinical study.
Objectives:
To explore how supraconal spinal cord injury (SCI) affects colorectal emptying at defecation. Further, to relate findings to subject symptomatology expressed by bowel function scores and gastrointestinal transit time (GITT).
Setting:
Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.
Methods:
Colorectal contents were marked by oral intake of 111In-coated resin pellets. Movement of stools at defecation was assessed by comparing scintigrams performed before and just after defecation. Results from 15 subjects with SCI (14 males, median age=47 years (range: 22–74 years), SCI level: C5–Th9) were compared with those from 16 healthy volunteers (12 males, median age=31 years (range: 24–42 years)). Bowel symptoms were described from standard symptom scores, and GITT was assessed by radiopaque markers.
Results:
Median emptying at defecation was 31% of the rectosigmoid (range: 0% to complete emptying of the rectosigmoid and 49% of the descending colon) in subjects with SCI and 89% of the rectosigmoid (range: 53% to complete emptying of the rectosigmoid and the descending colon, and 3% of the transverse colon) in the control group (P<0.01). Colorectal emptying at defecation was associated with the St Mark’s fecal incontinence score (P=0.02) but not with the Cleveland constipation score (P=0.17), the neurogenic bowel dysfunction score (P=0.12) or GITT (P=0.99).
Conclusion:
Supraconal SCI results in significantly reduced emptying of stools at defecation. This is independent of changes in GITT.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the Lundbeck Foundation for a grant supporting the completion of this study.
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Rasmussen, M., Krogh, K., Clemmensen, D. et al. Colorectal transport during defecation in subjects with supraconal spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord 51, 683–687 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.2013.58
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.2013.58
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