Ann Rehabil Med.  2015 Oct;39(5):696-704. 10.5535/arm.2015.39.5.696.

Changes in Body Temperature in Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury by Digital Infrared Thermographic Imaging

• Song YG
• Won YH
• Park SH
• Ko MH
• Seo JH

• KMID: 2148200
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5535/arm.2015.39.5.696

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To investigate changes in the core temperature and body surface temperature in patients with incomplete spinal cord injuries (SCI). In incomplete SCI, the temperature change is difficult to see compared with complete spinal cord injuries. The goal of this study was to better understand thermal regulation in patients with incomplete SCI.
METHODS
Fifty-six SCI patients were enrolled, and the control group consisted of 20 healthy persons. The spinal cord injuries were classified according to International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury. The patients were classified into two groups: upper (neurological injury level T6 or above) and lower (neurological injury level T7 or below) SCIs. Body core temperature was measured using an oral thermometer, and body surface temperature was measured using digital infrared thermographic imaging.
RESULTS
Twenty-nine patients had upper spinal cord injuries, 27 patients had lower SCIs, and 20 persons served as the normal healthy persons. Comparing the skin temperatures of the three groups, the temperatures at the lower abdomen, anterior thigh and anterior tibia in the patients with upper SCIs were lower than those of the normal healthy persons and the patients with lower SCIs. No significant temperature differences were observed between the normal healthy persons and the patients with lower SCIs.
CONCLUSION
In our study, we found thermal dysregulation in patients with incomplete SCI. In particular, body surface temperature regulation was worse in upper SCIs than in lower injuries. Moreover, cord injury severity affected body surface temperature regulation in SCI patients.

Keyword

Spinal cord injuries; Body temperature regulation; Body temperature; Skin temperature; Thermography

MeSH Terms

Abdomen
Body Temperature Regulation
Body Temperature*
Classification
Humans
Skin Temperature
Spinal Cord Injuries*
Spinal Cord*
Thermography
Thermometers
Thigh
Tibia

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