Introduction: The early use of methylprednisolone (MP) pulse represents the only treatment suggested to stop neurological outcomes in non-operable acute spinal cord injuries (ASCI). The protocol of the drug use dates from the 1990s and results of the NASCIS 2 randomized clinical trial. However, such conduct is still an issue for discussion, due to limited evidence. Objective: To compare the results of the main studies about the use of MP in the ASCI published in the last decade. Methods: This is a narrative review of the use of MP in the ASCI. A search was carried out using the keywords “acute spinal cord injury” and “methylprednisolone” on PubMed and Cochrane, in April 2021. Indexed meta- analysis from 2011 to 2020 were used as filters. All studies (3) were selected for analysis and comparison of their results. Results: Cochrane meta-analysis, in 2012 concluded that MP administration results in an improvement of the neurological outcome and presents good safety margin. Although it agrees with the drug harmless, a Canadian study in 2017 pointed out the MP offers a poor motor function benefit in the long term. Recently, in 2019, a meta-analysis from the American Academy of Neurology, did not recommend the use of MP in the ASCI, because of the lack of benefit in neurological function and increased occurrence of complications after the adoption of the therapy. Conclusion: Data from the last ten years of analysis demonstrates a progressive decrease in the evidence in favor of the use of MP in the ASCI.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.