METABOLIC CONSEQUENCES OF SPINAL CORD INJURY

Abstract

The cases of 16 adult men who had experienced trauma to the spinal cord were studied. During the acute post-traumatic period those men who had undergone severe injury to the spinal cord demonstrated urinary excretion of large amts. of N (up to 29 g. daily), creatinuria and impaired liver function, as evidenced by the results of the bromsulfalein test for liver function. During the postacute and chronic periods, the course of certain of these patients was marked by lowered excretion of 17-ketosteroids and corticosteroids, gynecomastia, testicular atrophy, decreased metabolic rate and hypoproteinemia. Each patient had one or more of these symptoms and signs, the complete syndrome being noted in the cases of 4 of the 16 paraplegic men included in our study.