Relationship between gut-specific autonomic testing and bowel dysfunction in spinal cord injury patients

Abstract

Study design: Investigation of bowel function in 55 patients and 26 healthy volunteers using radiological, anorectal physiological and laser Doppler blood flow monitoring. Objectives: Bowel dysfunction is common after spinal cord injury (SCI). We aimed to determine whether hindgut testing of autonomic innervation provides insight into presence of symptoms, altered motor function (transit) and level of injury. Setting: St Mark's Hospital, UK and The Spinal Injuries Unit, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, UK. Methods: A total of 55 patients with chronic complete SCI and 26 healthy volunteers were studied. Twenty-four patients had lesions above T5 and 31 had lesions below T5. Thirty-five pat..