| Summary: | This compact text is a practical, concise guide for clinicians involved in the care of patients with spinal cord injuries and disorders. It covers a comprehensive and diverse list of topics encompassing the principles and practice of spinal cord injury care, including basic science fundamentals, traumatic spinal cord injury, non-traumatic myelopathies, physical function and rehabilitation, medical consequences and complications of spinal cord injury, psychosocial and quality of life issues, and systems-based practice. Chapters are consistently formatted for ease of use and are organized under the broad headings of general principles, clinical considerations, and knowledge gaps and emerging concepts, and conclude with a curated list of suggested readings. Within these categories, specifics on underlying pathophysiology and etiology, assessment (examination, testing, differential diagnosis, prognosis, and risk factors) and management (non-pharmacological, medications, surgical procedures, follow-up and monitoring, primary and secondary prevention, and complications), and recent clinical advances and promising research are easily accessed. The book also addresses such quality of life issues as psychological adaptation, sexuality and fertility, vocational training, driving, and exercise, and includes information about systems of care and patient safety as well as ethical considerations. The guide is peppered with useful tables that highlight and reinforce key material. Additionally, "Practice Pearls" in selected chapters enhance the guide as a handy go-to reference for clinicians and trainees in multiple disciplines who care for people with spinal cord injuries and disorders.
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