International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (Revised 2011)
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International standards for neurological classification of spinal cord injury (Revised 2011) Steven C. Kirshblum1,2, Stephen P. Burns3, Fin Biering-Sorensen4, William Donovan5, Daniel E. Graves6, Amitabh Jha7, Mark Johansen7, Linda Jones8, Andrei Krassioukov9, M.J. Mulcahey10, Mary Schmidt-Read11, William Waring12 The authors are the members of the International Standards Committee of ASIA. 1UMDNJ/New Jersey Medical School, 2Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, 3University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, 4Clinic for Spinal Cord Injuries, Rigshospitalet, and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 5University of Texas, Houston, Texas, 6University of Kentucky, 7Craig Hospital, Englewood, CO, 8Geron Corporation, Menlo Park, CA, USA, 9International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 10Shriners Hospital for Children, 11Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, 12Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Introduction above which they exit (i.e. C1 exits above the C1 vertebra, This article represents the content of the booklet, just below the skull and C6 nerve roots pass between the International Standards for Neurological Classification C5 and C6 vertebrae) whereas C8 exists between the C7 of Spinal Cord Injury, revised 2011, published by the and T1 vertebra; as there is no C8 vertebra. The C1 American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA). For further nerve root does not have a sensory component that is explanation of the clarifications and changes in this tested on the International Standards Examination. revision, see the accompanying article (Kirshblum S., The thoracic spine has 12 distinct nerve roots and the et al. J Spinal Cord Med. 2011:DOI 10.1179/ lumbar spine consists of 5 distinct nerve roots that are 107902611X13186000420242 each named accordingly as they exit below the level of the The spinal cord is the major conduit through which respective vertebrae. The sacrum consists of 5 embryonic motor and sensory information travels between the brain sections that have fused into one bony structure with 5 dis- and body. The spinal cord contains longitudinally oriented tinct nerve roots that exit via the sacral foramina. The spinal spinal tracts (white matter) surrounding central areas (gray cord itself ends at approximately the L1-2 vertebral level. matter) where most spinal neuronal cell bodies are located. The distal most part of the spinal cord is called the conus The gray matter is organized into segments comprising medullaris. The cauda equina is a cluster of paired (right sensory and motor neurons. Axons from spinal and left) lumbosacral nerve roots that originate in the sensory neurons enter and axons from motor neurons region of the conus medullaris and travel down through leave the spinal cord via segmental nerves or roots. the thecal sac and exit via the intervertebral foramen In the cervical spine, there are 8 nerve roots. Cervical below their respective vertebral levels. There may be 0, roots of C1-C7 are named according to the vertebra 1, or 2 coccygeal nerves but they do not have a role with the International Standards examination in accord- Correspondence to: Steven Kirshblum MD., Kessler Institute for ance with the International Standards for Neurological Rehabilitation, 1199 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ 07052. Email: [email protected] Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI). Copyright 2011 American Spinal Injury Association. This reprint is intended for the express use of training professionals in the use of the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury. No part of this publication may be modified, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission of ASIA. All rights reserved. Adopted and reprinted with permission. The only portion of this reprint to which this prohibition of modification, reproduction, storage in a retrieval system or transmission in any form does not apply is the “Standard Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury” worksheet. Notice at the bottom of that page attests to the permission granted by ASIA for duplication, but alteration of this form in any manner is prohibited without permission from ASIA. © The Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals, Inc. 2011 DOI 10.1179/204577211X13207446293695 The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine 2011 VOL. 34 NO. 6 535 Kirshblum et al. International standards for neurological classification of spinal cord injury Each root receives sensory information from skin legs and pelvic organs may be involved. The term is areas called dermatomes. Similarly each root innervates used in referring to cauda equina and conus medullaris a group of muscles called a myotome. While a derma- injuries, but not to lumbosacral plexus lesions or injury tome usually represents a discrete and contiguous skin to peripheral nerves outside the neural canal. area, most roots innervate more than one muscle, and Tetraparesis and paraparesis: Use of these terms is dis- most muscles are innervated by more than one root. couraged, as they describe incomplete lesions impre- Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects conduction of sensory cisely, and incorrectly implies that tetraplegia and and motor signals across the site(s) of lesion(s), as well paraplegia should only be used for neurologically com- as the autonomic nervous system. By systematically plete injuries. Instead, the ASIA Impairment Scale examining the dermatomes and myotomes, as described (AIS) provides a more precise approach to description within this booklet, one can determine the cord segments of severity (i.e. completeness) of the SCI. affected by the SCI. From the International Standards Dermatome: This term refers to the area of the skin examination several measures of neurological damage innervated by the sensory axons within each segmental are generated, e.g., Sensory and Motor Levels (on right nerve (root). and left sides), NLI, Sensory Scores (Pin Prick and Myotome: This term refers to the collection of muscle Light Touch), Motor Scores (upper and lower limb), fibers innervated by the motor axons within each seg- and ZPP. This booklet also describes the ASIA mental nerve (root). (American Spinal Injury Association) Impairment Sensory level: The sensory level is determined by per- Scale (AIS) to classify the severity (i.e. completeness) of forming an examination of the key sensory points within injury. each of the 28 dermatomes on each side of the body This booklet begins with basic definitions of common (right and left) and is the most caudal, normally inner- terms used herein. The section that follows describes the vated dermatome for both pin prick (sharp/dull dis- recommended International Standards examination, crimination) and light touch sensation. This may be including both sensory and motor components. different for the right and left side of the body. Subsequent sections cover sensory and motor scores, Motor level: The motor level is determined by exam- the AIS classification, and clinical syndromes ining a key muscle function within each of 10 myotomes associated with SCI. For ease of reference, a worksheet on each side of the body and is defined by the lowest key (Appendix 1) of the recommended examination is muscle function that has a grade of at least 3 [on manual included, with a summary of steps used to classify the muscle testing (MMT) in the supine position], providing injury (Appendix 2). A full-size version for photocopy- the key muscle functions represented by segments above ing and use in patient records has been included as an that level are judged to be intact (graded as a 5 on enclosure and may also be downloaded from the ASIA MMT). This may be different for the right and left website (www.asia-spinalinjury.org). Additional details side of the body. regarding the examination and e-Learning training Neurological level of injury (NLI): The NLI refers to materials can also be obtained from the website15. the most caudal segment of the spinal cord with normal sensory and antigravity motor function on Definitions both sides of the body, provided that there is normal Tetraplegia (preferred to “quadriplegia”): This term (intact) sensory and motor function rostrally. The seg- refers to impairment or loss of motor and/or sensory ments at which normal function is found often differ function in the cervical segments of the spinal cord by side of the body and in terms of sensory and motor due to damage of neural elements within the spinal testing. Thus, up to four different segments may be canal. Tetraplegia results in impairment of function in identified in determining the neurological level, i.e., the arms as well as typically in the trunk, legs and R(ight)-sensory, L(eft)-sensory, R-motor, L-motor. pelvic organs, i.e. including the four extremities. It The single NLI is the most rostral of these levels. does not include brachial plexus lesions or injury to per- Skeletal level: This term has been used to denote the ipheral nerves outside the neural canal. level at which, by radiographic examination, the greatest Paraplegia: This term refers to impairment or loss of vertebral damage is found. The skeletal level is not part motor and/or sensory function in the thoracic, lumbar of the current ISNCSCI because not all cases of SCI or sacral (but not cervical) segments of the spinal cord, have a bony injury, bony injuries do not consistently cor- secondary to damage of neural elements within the relate with the neurological injury to the spinal cord, spinal canal. With paraplegia, arm functioning is and this term cannot be revised to document neurologi- spared, but, depending on the level of injury, the trunk, cal improvement or deterioration. 536 The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine 2011 VOL. 34 NO. 6 Kirshblum et al. International standards for neurological classification of spinal cord injury Sensory scores (see worksheet; Appendix 1): This term with minimal equipment (safety pin and cotton wisp) refers to a numerical summary score of sensory function.