To determine whether years since injury, level of injury, degree of injury,
gender, or age influence renal function in 66 spinal cord injuries (SCI) p
atients without urological complications, individual kidney effective renal
plasma flow (ERPF) and radionuclide renogram (RR) were measured using tech
netium-99m mercaptoacetyltriglycine (Tc-99m MAG3). The 176 individual kidne
ys included 84 kidneys with normal ERPF and RR, 48 kidneys with normal ERPF
but abnormal RR, and 44 kidneys with abnormal ERPF and RR. The incidence o
f abnormal Tc-99m renal study results was higher in the kidneys of female p
atients (37/54, 68%) than of male patients (55/122, 45%) (p < 0.05), We fou
nd that Tc-99m MAG3 renal studies including ERPF and RR are safe and noninv
asive urological screening tests for SCI patients. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Ka
rger AG, Basel.