Compressive Pressure Versus Time in Cauda Equina Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Experimental Studies

Systematic review and meta-analysis. OBJECTIVE. To examine the relationship between compressive pressure and its duration in cauda equina compression, and the effects of subsequent decompression, on neurophysiological function, and pathophysiology in animal studies. We further aim to investigate these relationships with systemic blood pressure to assess whether a vascular component in the underlying mechanism may contribute to the clinical heterogeneity of this disease. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA. The complex relationship between preoperative factors and outcomes in cauda equina syndrome (CES) suggests heterogeneity within CES which may inform better understanding of pathophysiological process, their effect on neurological function, and prognosis. METHODS. Systematic review identified 17 relevant studies including 422 animals and reporting electrophysiological measures (EP), histopathology, and blood flow. Modeling using meta-regression analyzed the relationship between compressive pressure, duration of compression, and electrophysiological function in both compression and decompression studies. RESULTS. Modeling suggested that electrophysiological dysfunction in acute cauda equina compression has a sigmoidal response, with particularly deterioration when mean arterial blood pressure is exceeded and, additionally, sustained for approximately 1 hour. Accounting for pressure and duration may help risk-stratify patients pre-decompression. Outcomes after decompression appeared to be related more to the degree of compression, where exceeding systolic blood pressure tended to result in an irreversible lesion, rather than duration of compression. Prognosis was most strongly associated with residual pre-decompression function. CONCLUSION. Compressive pressure influences effects and outcomes of cauda equina compression. We suggest the presence of two broad phenotypic groups within CES defined by the degree of ischaemia as a potential explanatory pathophysiological mechanism. Level of Evidence: 1