Efficacy of Sacral Nerve Modulation on Urinary and Defecation Dysfunction After Spinal Cord Injury：A Prospective, Single-arm Study

Spinal cord injury is a serious type of central nervous system injury that not only causes movement disorders, but also damages the bladder, intestines, and autonomic nervous circuits related to sexual function, leading to urinary and defecation disorders. Sacral nerve modulation is a technology that applies low-frequency electric pulse to specific sacral nerve continuously to affect and regulate the function of target organs, so as to treat urgent urinary incontinence, overactivity of bladder, urinary retention, fecal incontinence and other diseases. However, there is currently no consensus on whether this technology can treat urinary and defecation dysfunction caused by spinal cord injury, and its specific mechanism still needs to be studied. Existing research shows that this technique can reduce the excitability of sphincter by inhibiting the protective reflex to treat urinary retention; Treating detrusor overactivity by inhibiting detrusor muscle activity without affecting urethral resistance and detrusor muscle contraction during urination. This study hypothesizes that sacral nerve modulation intervention after spinal cord injury can reduce bladder spasms, maintain bladder compliance, bladder capacity, and low bladder filling pressure, delay the progression of bladder fibrosis and hydronephrosis after spinal cord injury, and improve symptoms such as constipation. Based on the above evidence and hypotheses, we designed a single arm clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of sacral nerve modulation surgery in treating urinary and defecation dysfunction after incomplete spinal cord injury, especially in preventing complications such as bladder fibrosis and hydronephrosis. We also evaluated the impact of sacral nerve modulation surgery on the quality of life of patients after spinal cord injury, as well as the improvement effect of sacral nerve modulation surgery on urinary and reproductive system related symptoms and intestinal symptoms.

Inclusion criteria

• Age over 18 years old, gender not limited
• Diagnosed with urinary and defecation dysfunction caused by spinal cord injury
• Urodynamic examination suggests bladder dysfunction
• ASIA spinal cord injury classification: B, C, or D
• Safe bladder capacity>100ml
• Patients who can undergo sacral nerve regulation surgery after evaluation
• If you plan not to combine medication during the study period, you need to stop taking the medication for at least 7 days before the screening period. If you plan to continue drug treatment during the study period, you need to maintain the same dosage or stop taking the medication after evaluation by a doctor.
• Voluntarily participate in this clinical study, and the subjects sign a written informed consent form before the start of the study.
• After testing treatment, if any of the following conditions are met, permanent implantation of a sacral nerve stimulator is feasible① The average daily frequency of urination during the last 3 days of experiential therapy decreased by ≥ 50% compared to baseline;② The average urinary urgency score for the last 3 days of experiential therapy decreased by ≥ 50% compared to baseline; ③ The number of urinary incontinence episodes in the last 3 days of experiential therapy decreased by ≥ 50% compared to baseline;④ The average urine output per session during the last 3 days of experiential therapy increased by ≥ 50% compared to baseline;⑤ The patient requires permanent implantation due to improvement in intestinal and sexual function, and after evaluation by the researcher, can undergo phase II treatment

Exclusion criteria

• Other causes of lower urinary tract dysfunction cannot be ruled out, or other diseases that may lead to lower urinary tract dysfunction cannot be ruled out
• Pregnant women, lactating women, women of childbearing age who plan to conceive or have no safe contraceptive measures during the study period
• Patients with mental and cognitive impairments, as well as those who are unable to cooperate with the experimental process
• Patients with untreated infections, coagulation disorders, malignant tumors, and other serious illnesses
• Individuals who have undergone other relevant surgical treatments within 3 months prior to enrollment (including but not limited to bladder wall injection of botulinum toxin type A), or have participated in other clinical trials
• Other situations that researchers consider inappropriate to participate in the study