Introduction: One of the major challenges in neuro-urology is the restoration of voluntary voiding in a patient after spinal cord injury (SCI).
Animal experiments: The earliest reports on reconstruction of urinary bladder function by bridging nerve roots from above the SCI to the below this level were published by Carlsson and Sundin 1968. In another approach, a possible reflex pathway below the SCI to reinitiate voluntary voiding was investigated. The result was a modified somatic reflex arc rostral to the sacral spinal micturition center.
Future research: Medical reports in numerous publications are still very enthusiastic about the possibility of cell or gene therapy. Such results report the successful bridging of small nerve gaps. The latest approach is the intravenous application of stem cells to aid the recovery of the SCI.
Clinical approach: The first reports on attempts to reconstruct the nervous pathways to the bladder in patients were published 1967. In two cases, a nerve anastomosis from Th(12) (the lowest intact segment) to S(2+3), bilaterally to the SCI, allowed spontaneous micturition after 8-12 months with reported sensitivity at the base of the penis. With a modification in surgical technique, another group reported a success rate of 100% using the anastomosis of intercostal nerves Th(11+12) to sacral roots S(2+3) to establish a reflex voiding and, in 72% of patients, reappearance of the bulbocavernous and cremaster reflexes. Xiao et al. published, with a 3 year follow-up, the creation of a micturition reflex through anastomosing the ventral roots of L(5) to S(2/3) in complete SCI patients with a 67% success rate a year after surgery.
Conclusion: There is still a great deal of work required before cell therapy becomes a therapeutic option. Today, the published data strongly suggest that it is possible to treat first line urinary bladder dysfunctions in SCI or spina bifida patients. Before one of these techniques becomes widely used, it should be proven effective in specialized institutions, such as the Department of Urology in collaboration with the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Tuebingen, Germany.