Acute outcomes of cervical spine injuries in the elderly: atlantaxial vs subaxial injuries.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have reported on the outcomes of spinal cord injuries in the elderly. Our aim was to identify acute survival differences between elderly patients with atlantoaxial injuries relative to subaxial injuries at our institution and to determine whether operative treatment is associated with improved survival rates in either population. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective database review of all traumatic cervical spine injuries in patients at least 65 years of age at a single tertiary care center. METHODS: A total of 193 consecutive patients at least 65 years of age treated at a single tertiary care center over a 12-year period were identified. Initial hospitalization records were reviewed. Patients were divided by anatomic level of injury: atlantoaxial (C1 or C2) and subaxial (C3 or below). Demographics, mechanism, and mortality rates were compared. Each group was further divided by treatment (operative or nonoperative), and inpatient survival rates were compared. RESULTS: Statistically similar survival rates were observed among patients with atlantoaxial and subaxial injuries (P = 0.10). Patients with nonoperatively treated subaxial injuries died at significantly higher rates than did their operatively treated peers (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this large comprehensive series of elderly patients with cervical spine injuries, survival rates were comparable regardless of anatomic level of injury. The operative treatment of subaxial injuries was associated with an improved acute survival rate vs nonoperative management. Further prospective study is needed to better assess this relationship.

Acute mortality and complications of cervical spine injuries in the elderly at a single tertiary care center.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective database review of all traumatic cervical spine injuries at a single tertiary care center. OBJECTIVE: To determine the acute survival of patients aged 65 and over with a variety of cervical spine injuries, regardless of operative or conservative treatment. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Elderly patients with cervical spine injuries have historically suffered from high mortality rates. More recent literature has demonstrated improved outcomes among operatively treated elderly, but has suggested that the nonoperative treatment of cervical injuries in this population may itself contribute to increased mortality rates. METHODS: One thousand seventy-three consecutive patients were identified and initial hospitalization records reviewed. Ninety-four patients were excluded for incomplete data. The remaining 979 patients were divided by age into young and elderly groups. Sex distribution, mechanism, injury type, comorbidities, and mortality and complication rates were compared. Elderly patients were further divided into operative and nonoperative groups and acute outcomes were compared. RESULTS: The overall acute mortality rate for all patients with cervical spine injuries was 5.92%. Eighty-six percent of all patients 65 and over survived, as did 96.1% of younger patients. Seventy-three percent of elderly patients with complete injuries survived, as did 80% of those with incomplete injuries, and 95.6% of intact elderly. Acute mortality rates were statistically comparable in both the operatively and nonoperatively treated groups of elderly. CONCLUSIONS: In this large comprehensive series of elderly patients with cervical spine injuries, statistically comparable survival rates were achieved in both operatively treated and nonoperatively treated patient populations. This finding challenges the conclusion that the nonoperative treatment of the elderly necessarily results in increased acute mortality.

Cervical spine injuries in the elderly: acute postoperative mortality.

STUDY DESIGN: This study retrospectively reviewed 12 years of consecutive patients with cervical spine injuries. OBJECTIVE: To establish reasonable expectations for short-term postoperative survival of the elderly patient with a cervical spine injury. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Previous studies have outlined dismal expectations for patients older than 65 years, with cervical spine injuries. This result has led many surgeons to consider more conservative treatment when compared to younger patients with similar injuries. METHODS: A total of 458 patients treated surgically over a 12-year period at a single tertiary spine care center were reviewed. The patients were divided into 2 groups by age, older and younger than 65 years. Prospective data were collected from the time of admission to discharge from the acute care facility, and included age, injury etiology, anatomic and neurologic injury patterns, and morbidity and mortality RESULTS: There were 74 patients older than 65 years and 384 younger than 65 years who underwent surgical stabilization of their injury. The overall mortality rate during the initial hospitalization was 3.9%. The mortality rate of the elderly group was 12.2%, while 2.3% for the younger patients. Common postoperative morbidities in the older group included myocardial infarction, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary emboli, and gastrointestinal bleeds. In the younger group, pneumonia, respiratory failure, and urinary tract infections were more frequent. CONCLUSIONS: The realistic expectation for short-term postoperative survival in the elderly patient with a cervical spine injury is 87.8%. With a complete neurologic injury, 80.0% short-term survival was observed. Incomplete neurologic injury yielded 83.3% short-term survival. Close to 100.0% survival can be expected with no neurologic injury.