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 WE 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/mm(3) and 273 000+/-48 343/mm(3) 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.