SPARING OF SENSATION TO PIN PRICE PREDICTS RECOVERY OF A MOTOR SEGMENT AFTER INJURY TO THE SPINAL-CORD

We have reviewed 59 patients with injury to the spinal cord to assess the predictive value of the sparing of sensation to pin prick in deter mining motor recovery in segments which initially had MRC grade-0 powe r. There were 35 tetraplegics (18 complete, 17 incomplete) and 24 para plegics (19 complete, 5 incomplete), and the mean follow-up was 29.6 m onths, A total of 114 motor segments initially had grade-0 power but s paring of sensation to pin pride in the corresponding dermatome, Of th ese, 97 (85%) had return of functional Dower (greater than or equal to grade 3) at follow-up. There were 479 motor segments with grade-0 pow er but no sparing of sensation to pin prick and of these only six (1.3 %) had return of functional power, Both of the above associations were statistically significant (chi-squared test, p < 0.0001). After injur y to the spinal ford, the preservation of sensation to pin pick in a m otor segment with grade-0 power indicated an 85% chance of motor recov ery to at least grade 3.