Objective To study the mechanism, pathology and treatment of the lung injury after spinal cord injury. Methods Models of spinal cord injury were made with modified Allen methods in 40 rabbits and divided into Group A (control group) and Group B (experimental group). Group B was treated with dexamethasone (0.35mg/k/d) by intravenous drip at first 3 days. The rabbits of spinal cord injury were killed for autopsy at different time points and their lungs were observed pathologically. Results Different degrees of lung injury, with hemorrhage of lung (100 %), occurred after spinal cord injury. The hemorrhage of lung in Group B which received the administration of dexamethasone was obviously slighter than that in Group A (P