Citation

Hill GP, Dean T, Muller A, Martin AP, Sigal AP, Fernandez FB, Ong AW. Am. Surg. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Southeastern Surgical Congress)

DOI

10.1177/0003134820934414

PMID

32683943

Abstract

Noncontiguous injuries in a different spine region (NCIDSR) have been associated with increased morbidity compared with single-region spine injuries.1 Studies have estimated the frequency of noncontiguous thoracolumbar spine injuries to be almost 20% when a cervical spine injury has been identified, leading to recommendations for whole spine imaging in this setting. In low-velocity trauma, however, the prevalence and risks of NCIDSR have not been well studied. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was an increased risk of NCIDSR in low-energy falls when a single spine injury was found. We hypothesized that there is no increased risk of NCIDSR after the detection of a spine injury.

A retrospective analysis of patients aged ≥18 years was performed over a 6-year period (April 2013-March 2019) in a Level I trauma center. Patients who sustained falls less or equal to 5 feet were included. Patients with penetrating injuries, unspecified mechanisms of injury, or involvement with any motor vehicle were excluded. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) ninth and 10th edition codes were used to classify spine injuries (fracture, subluxation, and cord) into cervical (C), thoracic (T), or lumbar (L) spine regions. NCIDSR was defined as noncontiguous spine injuries found in 2 or more different spine regions. Concomitant C7/T1 and T12/L1 injuries were considered contiguous and classified as C-spine and T-spine injuries, respectively, despite being from different spine regions. For further analysis, only patients who underwent computed tomography (CT) imaging...

Language: en