Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the reflex bladder's occurrence according to urodynamic parameters in patients with suprasacral spinal cord injury (SCI) within one year after injury. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between May 2021 and July 2023, a total of 83 (57 males, 26 females; median age: 32 years; range, 19 to 64 years) suprasacral traumatic SCI patients within one year after injury were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups as complete or incomplete SCI according to the American Spinal Cord Injury International Standards for Neurological Classification of SCI. Also, the patients were divided into two groups as ≤90 days or 91-365 days according to the duration between injury and urodynamics. RESULTS: Thirteen (37.1%) of 35 patients within 90 days after injury had detrusor overactivity (DO). During the ≤90 days period, the DO and detrusor-external sphincter dyssynergia (DSD) rates of incomplete suprasacral SCI patients were significantly higher than complete suprasacral SCI patients (p<0.05). Within three months after injury, although the median storage phase maximal detrusor pressure [Pdet (max)] of incomplete suprasacral SCI patients was significantly higher than complete suprasacral SCI patients (p=0.007), the Pdet (max) >40 cmH(2)O rates were similar between complete and incomplete patients (p=0.213). The urodynamic parameters of patients with complete and incomplete suprasacral SCI were similar after three months of injury (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Although urodynamics investigation is recommended after spinal shock in SCI patients, detrusor reflex did not recover completely in most of suprasacral SCI patients within three months after injury in our study. The development of DO occurs significantly earlier in patients with incomplete suprasacral SCI than patients with complete suprasacral SCI.