FSPR for adult traumatic brain injury

  According to statistics, more than 20% of patients after traumatic brain injury develop limb spasticity and increased muscle tone, mainly manifesting as abnormal gait, upper limb activity and posture or loss of walking ability. The abnormal muscle tone and spasticity interfere with the normal play of muscle strength, resulting in limb movement disorders and postural abnormalities, and may even cause severe soft tissue contracture deformities of the limbs due to persistent spasticity. Treatment of spasticity is mostly given by physical therapy, massage, rehabilitation training and some orthopedic surgery (less reported).  The FSPR procedure targets the mechanism of spasticity by selectively cutting the Class Ia fibers in the posterior roots and blocking the gamma-loop in the spinal cord reflex arc to maximize the preservation of limb sensation and effectively relieve spasticity without affecting motor function, and reduce excessive muscle tone. After 3-6 months of intensive postoperative training, the patient’s walking ability, gait, upper extremity activity and self-care ability were greatly improved, and FSPR surgery not only has an important role in improving limb function, but also creates conditions for rehabilitation.  The indications for FSPR for post-traumatic brain injury limb spasticity and surgical considerations: (1) post-traumatic brain injury with limb spasticity, muscle tone above grade 3, with a certain muscle strength base and certain motor function of trunk and limbs; (2) age less than 47 years, no traumatic impairment of consciousness, and able to actively cooperate with rehabilitation training after surgery; (3) no obvious spinal deformity; (4) no serious cardiac, pulmonary, hepatic, or renal functional abnormalities; (5) no serious cardiac, pulmonary, hepatic, or renal abnormalities; and (6) no serious spasticity. (5) no serious soft tissue contracture and abnormal bone and joint structure and function; (6) no unexplained long-term hypothermia; (7) more than one year after traumatic brain injury, and the condition is stable for more than six months.  (1) There is a difference in the operation time and age between post-traumatic brain injury limb spasm and cerebral palsy limb spasm; FSPR surgery is feasible after 3 years of age for cerebral palsy patients, and the best operation time is 3 to 10 years of age; the operation age for traumatic brain injury patients should be less than 47 years of age, and the best operation time is 1 to 2 years after the injury; (2) The extent of laminectomy should not be too large, and attention should be paid to preserving the small joints on both sides. (3) Do not pull the posterior rootlets excessively to prevent them from tearing off from the spinal cord surface or stretching the spinal cord; (4) Use muscle relaxants carefully and pay attention to the depth of anesthesia; (5) Because of the different functions of the upper and lower extremities, the proportion of nerve cuts in the lower extremities should be smaller than that in the upper extremities under the same muscle tone, and the proportion of nerve cuts in the upper extremities should be <40% and that in the lower extremities should be <30%. The proportion of posterior nerve root dissection should be <40% in the upper limb and <30% in the lower limb.  The proportion of nerve cut is inconsistent, and recent reports tend to be less cut. The relationship between nerve cut ratio and muscle tone and other factors needs further study.