Prospective assessment of 15 patients from 1990 to 1993 with retrospective review of 17 patients from 1987 to 1990 to assess differences in treatment outcomes with MP treatment compared with those with treatment without corticosteroids

III

No difference in neurological outcomes between the two sets of patients; patients treated with MP had immune response alterations, higher rates of pneumonia, and longer hospital stays than patients who did not receive corticosteroids

Galandiuk et al. (1993)

Concurrent cohort comparison study (population based) of 363 ASCI patients managed from 1990 to 1991 and 1993; 188 patients received the NASCIS II MP regimen, whereas 90 patients did not receive MP

III (inadequate statistical power)

No differences in neurological outcomes between MP-treated and non-MP-treated patients by use of the Frankel classification; however, insufficient numbers of patients may have been included to show significant differences

Gerhart et al. (1995)

Retrospective review of 145 ASCI patients: 80 treated with MP and 65 not treated

III

No difference in mortality or neurological outcome between groups, despite the younger age and less severe injuries in MP-treated patients

George et al. (1995)