PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF SPINAL-CORD TRAUMA

This article reviews the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury. The fo cus is on the role of post-traumatic membrane lipid changes, including lipid hydrolysis with enzymatic lipid peroxidation (ie, eicosanoid pr oduction) and nonenzymatic, free radical-induced lipid peroxidation in the secondary autodestruction of injured spinal cord tissue. A specul ative etiopathogenesis of secondary injury is presented in an attempt to explain the importance and order of the pathophysiologic events tha t result in tissue death and the apparent effectiveness of diverse pha rmacologic agents in the treatment of experimental spinal cord injury.