Platelet aggregation in traumatic spinal cord injury
Study design: Collagen-induced platelet aggregation and platelet count of ten paraplegic patients (four females, six males, aged 16–42 years) with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) (posttraumatic 12–48 weeks) and of ten age-matched healthy volunteers (control group; five females, five males, aged 18–37 years) were investigated. Objectives: Investigation of platelet aggregation in the whole blood of the patients with SCI. Setting: Ankara/Turkey. Methods: Platelet aggregation was evaluated by impedance technique using Chrono Log Model 560 WB aggregometer in whole blood. Platelet count was determined by Medonic Cell Analyser 610. Results: Maximal intensity of collagen-induced platelet aggregation of the patients was 18.50±8.28 ohm (mean±SD) and of the controls was 7.60±4.25 ohm. Maximal rate of collagen-induced aggregation of platelets from the patients was 3.98±1.59 ohm/min, maximal rate of aggregation of platelets from the controls was 1.57±1.01 ohm/min. Platelet counts of the patients and controls were 290 500±50 357/mm3 and 273 000±48 343/mm3 respectively. It was determined that both maximal rate (P<0.001) and maximal intensity (P<0.01) of collagen-induced platelet aggregation of the patients were significantly higher than those of the controls. There was no significant difference between the two groups in respect to platelet counts. Conclusion: Collagen-induced platelet aggregation of patients with traumatic SCI 12–48 weeks after the trauma was significantly higher than that of the controls. Our results indicate that increased tendency of platelet aggregation, which is probably induced by free radicals, may have a great impact on the late thromboembolic complications reported in patients with traumatic SCI.