title: Plain abdominal radiograph as an evaluation method of bowel dysfunction in patients with spinal cord injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the usefulness of plain abdominal radiography as an evaluation method for bowel dysfunction in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four patients with SCI were recruited. Patients were interviewed about their clinical symptoms, and the constipation score and Bristol stool form scale were assessed. The colon transit time (CTT) was measured by using radio-opaque markers (Kolomark). The degree of stool retention and the presence of megacolon or megarectum were evaluated using plain abdominal radiographs. We examined the relationship between clinical aspects and CTT and plain abdominal radiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The constipation scores ranged from 1 to 13, and the average was 4.19±3.11, and the Bristol stool form scale ranged from 1 to 6, with an average of 4.13±1.45. CTTs were 19.3±16.17, 19.3±13.45, 15.32±13.15, and 52.42±19.14 in the right, left, rectosigmoid, and total colon. Starreveld scores were 3.4±0.7, 1.8±0.86, 2.83±0.82, 2.14±1, and 10.19±2.45 in the ascending, transverse, descending, rectosigmoid, and total colon. Leech scores were 3.28±0.7, 2.8±0.8, 2.35±0.85, and 8.45±1.83 in the right, left, rectosigmoid, and total colon. The number of patients with megacolon and megarectum was 14 (31.8%) and 11 (25%). There were statistically significant correlations between the total CTT and constipation score (p<0.05), and Starreveld and Leech scores (p<0.05). Significant correlations were observed between each segmental CTT and the segmental stool retention score (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plain abdominal radiography is useful as a convenient and simple method of evaluation of bowel dysfunction in patients with SCI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea. ; Institute of Wonkwang Medical Science, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Se Eung
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.forename: Gang Deuk
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Min Cheol
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Joo
keywords: Abdominal radiography; Colon transit time; Neurogenic bowel; Spinal cord injuries
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