Summary

Acute spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating injury that can be the result of varying traumatic mechanisms. While early surgical decompression and different pharmacological agents have been advocated over the years, it is still unclear how effective these treatments are in improving neurological outcomes. This article discusses the ongoing Riluzole in Spinal Cord Injury Study [RISCIS; NCT01597518], a phase 3, multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of off-label use of riluzole to treat patients with acute SCI.