Correlation of bladder dysfunction and lumbosacral somatosensory evoked potential S‐wave abnormality in spinal‐cord‐injured patients

Thirty‐six patients with stable cervical and high thoracic spinal cord injury underwent urodynamic evaluation and lumbosacral somatosensory evoked potential testing. All these patients had a preserved peripheral sensory neuron (normal R‐wave). Fifteen of the 36 patients had either an abnormal or absent lumbosacral postsynaptic posterior horn potential (S‐wave). Correlation of the S‐wave abnormality and urodynamic evaluation in these patients showed a high incidence of abnormal detrusor contractility (87%). This supports an underlying neurogenic dysfunction for the abnormal detrusor behavior in spinal‐cordinjured patients.