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Ankylosing spinal diseases, such as ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), are highly important in spinal traumatology and are therefore specifically considered in the AO Spine Classification of spinal injuries. These diseases make the spine extremely susceptible to injury and also complicate the diagnosis and treatment, leading to an increased mortality. Concomitant neurological injuries are frequent. The treatment of such injuries requires great attention and careful preparation. Early and precise diagnostics using computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as a surgical intervention are crucial for the survival and the quality of life of patients. The treatment is carried out surgically as conservative treatment often leads to high complication rates. In postoperative care special attention must be paid to cardiopulmonary complications., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

Case: The authors present a case of a 6-year-old boy who was treated nonoperatively for an unstable C2-3 hyperflexion injury with posterior cervical ligamentous disruption 8 years ago. The patient was managed with cervical collar immobilization for 2.5 years with long-term follow-up demonstrating complete healing of posterior element disruption, normal sagittal vertebral alignment on dynamic imaging, and full return to activities of daily living and sports., Conclusion: Pediatric spine injuries up to the C2-3 level with posterior ligamentous disruption alone without neurological deficit may be successfully treated nonoperatively with careful long-term immobilization and close follow-up., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSCC/C451)., (Copyright © 2024 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)

Background: The actual significance of prehospital immobilization of the cervical spine in severely injured trauma patients remains unclear. In view of possible negative implications, such as an increase in intracranial pressure due to the application of a rigid cervical spine orthosis, the long-term use must be critically questioned. Further studies are required to justify the long-term use of a rigid cervical spine orthosis in the prehospital setting., Objective: Comparative measurements of the mobility of the cervical spine during immobilization using a vacuum mattress with or without the additional application of a rigid cervical spine orthosis after positioning on the stretcher were carried out., Material and Methods: Biomechanical measurements of the movement of the cervical spine were carried out by attaching inertial measurement units to a test person during the loading and unloading process in a modern ambulance and during the journey along a predefined parkour. The test person on whom the measurements were carried out was immobilized on a vacuum mattress with the option of lateral fixation of the head and chin and forehead strap on an electrohydraulic stretcher. The complete standard monitoring was set up to simulate as realistic a transport of a severely injured patient as possible. A total of 30 test runs were realized. In one half of the tests, the cervical spine was additionally immobilized using a rigid orthosis and in the other half a cervical spine orthosis was not used. For each of the 30 tests, the angles, axial rotation, lateral bending and flexion/extension as well as the first and second derivatives were considered for loading, transport and unloading and the parameters mean deviation from the zero position, size of the swept angle range and maximum were calculated for each test run., Results: Statistically significant differences were only found for some biomechanical parameters in the sagittal plane (flexion and extension). No significant differences were found for the measured parameters in the other directions of movement (axial rotation, lateral flexion). In general, only very small angular deflections were measured both in the tests with the cervical spine orthosis and without the cervical spine orthosis (on average in the range of 1-2° for axial rotation and flexion/extension and up to 3° for lateral flexion)., Conclusion: If immobilization is carried out correctly using a vacuum mattress with the option of lateral stabilization of the head and chin and a forehead strap on an electrohydraulic stretcher with a loading system, there are no relevant advantages with respect to the restriction of movement of the cervical spine by the additional use of a rigid cervical spine orthosis for the loading and unloading process or during the transport in a modern ambulance. It could therefore be advantageous to remove the rigid cervical spine orthosis initially applied for the rescue of the patient at the scene after the patient has been positioned on the vacuum mattress and stretcher to avoid potential negative effects of the rigid cervical spine orthosis for the period of transportation to the hospital., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background Context: Gunshot wounds (GSWs) to the vertebral column represent an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, constituting approximately 20% of all spinal injuries. The management of these injuries is an understudied and controversial topic, given its heterogeneity and lack of follow-up data., Purpose: To characterize the management and follow-up of GSWs to the spine., Study Design/setting: A multi-institutional retrospective review of the experience of two urban Level 1 trauma centers., Patient Sample: Patients with GSWs to the spine between 2010-2021., Outcome Measures: Measures included work status, follow-up healthcare utilization, and pain management were collected., Methods: Charts were reviewed for demographics, injury characteristics, surgery and medical management, and follow-up. Statistical analysis included T-tests and ANOVA for comparisons of continuous variables and chi-square testing for categorical variables. All statistics were performed on SPSS v24 (IBM, Armonk, NY)., Results: A total of 271 patients were included for analysis. The average age was 28 years old, 82.7% of patients were black, 90% were male, and 76.4% had Medicare/Medicaid. The thoracic spine (35%) was most commonly injured followed by lumbar (33.9%) and cervical (25.6%). Cervical GSW was associated with higher mortality (p<.001); 8.7% of patients developed subsequent osteomyelitis/discitis, 71.3% received prophylactic antibiotics, and 56.1% of cervical GSW had a confirmed vertebral or carotid artery injury. ASIA scores at presentation were most commonly A (26.9%), D (20.7%), or E (19.6%), followed by C (7.4%) and B (6.6%). 18.8% of patients were unable to be assessed at presentation. ASIA score declined in only 2 patients, while 15.5% improved over their hospital stay. Those who improved were more likely to have ASIA B injury (p<.001). Overall, 9.2% of patients underwent spinal surgery. Of these, 33% presented as ASIA A, 21% as ASIA B, 29% as ASIA C, and 13% as ASIA D. Surgery was not associated with an improvement in ASIA score., Conclusions: Given the ubiquitous and heterogeneous experience with GSWs to the spine, rigorous attempts should be made to define this population and its clinical and surgical outcomes. Here, we present an analysis of 11 years of patients presenting to two large trauma centers to elucidate patterns in presentation, management, and follow-up. We highlight that GSWs to the cervical spine are most often seen in young black male patients. They were associated with high mortality and high rates of injury to vertebral arteries and that surgical intervention did not alter rates of discitis/osteomyelitis or propensity for neurologic recovery; moreover, there was no incidence of delayed spinal instability in the study population., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Spinal fractures, spinal cord injuries, and nerve root injuries are commonly encountered entities for spine surgeon. While many cases have well-researched presentations, outcomes, and standards of care there are many patients for which the appropriate clinical management is less clear. Other patients present with injuries with clear treatment preferences that are impossible to implement based on comorbidities or preference. The authors present a few recent cases of spinal injury where multiple treatment pathways could be considered and individual patient-related factors changed the course of treatment., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Cervical spinal immobilisation procedures often include rigid cervical collars which, despite associated complications, may provide less immobilisation than previously thought. The present study reports the incidence of worsening neurological outcomes following soft collar application, and additionally reports patient comfort, compliance with spinal immobilisation, and paramedic perspectives on usage., Methods: This was an observational cohort study conducted in selected metropolitan and regional areas of NSW Ambulance between 1 May 2022 and 31 March 2023. Soft collars were used exclusively in place of rigid collars. The SPEED (SPinal Emergency Evaluation of Deficits) tool was used to evaluate new or worsening neurological deficits following pre-hospital soft collar application. Secondary outcomes included patient-reported comfort of the device, and paramedic assessment of efficacy., Results: Overall, 2098 soft collars were applied, of which 74 patients (3.5%) were subsequently found to have a cervical spine injury. Eight patients had a spinal cord injury, of which two experienced a worsening neurological deficit after soft collar application. In both instances, comprehensive case reviews determined that this was unlikely to have been attributable to the soft collar. The majority of patients found the soft collar comfortable, and they were well-tolerated by patients who generally complied with immobility directions. Paramedics found the collar easy to apply, and felt it assisted in minimising patient movement., Conclusions: Pre-hospital use of soft collars does not appear to increase the risk of significant injury. Patients found these devices relatively comfortable, and clinicians reported overall ease of use with good patient compliance with immobility directives., (© 2024 The Author(s). Emergency Medicine Australasia published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian College for Emergency Medicine.)

Introduction: Spinal cord injuries often lead to significant motor and sensory deficits, as well as autonomic dysfunction. Compared with normal spinal injuries, combat-related spinal injuries (CRSIs) are usually more complex and challenging to treat because of multiple traumas, firing-line treatments, and arduous initial treatments on a battlefield. Yet numerous issues remain unresolved about clinical treatment and scientific research. The enhancement of CRSI diagnosis and treatment quality by military surgeons and nurses is imperative. The objective of this study is to identify the frontiers, hotspots, and trends among recent research, summarize the development process of clinical trials, and visualize them systematically., Materials and Methods: We collected publications from CRSI based on the Core Collection of Web of Science for 30 years from January 1, 1993 to May 1, 2023.Visualizations of the knowledge maps were produced using VOSviewer and CiteSpace software. We examined annual trends of publications and distribution patterns, the number of publications, as well as the research hotspots., Results: Among 201 documents, it was found that there was a stable upward trend in publications. There were 2 rapid growth stages during the 30 years. Among all countries, the USA contributed the most publications, along with the highest influence and the most international cooperation. Military Medicine was the journal of the maximum publications, whereas the Spine journal was the most influential one. Keyword co-occurrence analysis and trend topics analysis revealed that these articles focused 5 distinct categories for CRSI., Conclusions: As the first bibliometric study focused on CRSI, we demonstrated the evolution of the field and provided future research directions. We summarized the hotspots and 5 clusters published. This would serve as a useful guide for clinicians and scientists regarding CRSI global impacts., (© The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2024.)

Background: Trauma guidelines on spinal motion restriction (SMR) have changed drastically in recent years. An international group of experts explored whether consensus could be reached and if guidelines on SMR performed by trained lifeguards and prehospital EMS following in-water traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) should also be changed., Methods: An international three-round Delphi process was conducted from October 2022 to November 2023. In Delphi round one, brainstorming resulted in an exhaustive list of recommendations for handling patients with suspected in-water TSCI. The list was also used to construct a preliminary flowchart for in-water SMR. In Delphi round two, three levels of agreement for each recommendation and the flowchart were established. Recommendations with strong consensus (≥ 85% agreement) underwent minor revisions and entered round three; recommendations with moderate consensus (75-85% agreement) underwent major revisions in two consecutive phases; and recommendations with weak consensus (< 75% agreement) were excluded. In Delphi round 3, the level of consensus for each of the final recommendations and each of the routes in the flowchart was tested using the same procedure as in Delphi round 2., Results: Twenty-four experts participated in Delphi round one. The response rates for Delphi rounds two and three were 92% and 88%, respectively. The study resulted in 25 recommendations and one flowchart with four flowchart paths; 24 recommendations received strong consensus (≥ 85%), and one recommendation received moderate consensus (81%). Each of the four paths in the flowchart received strong consensus (90-95%). The integral flowchart received strong consensus (93%)., Conclusions: This study produced expert consensus on 25 recommendations and a flowchart on handling patients with suspected in-water TSCI by trained lifeguards and prehospital EMS. These results provide clear and simple guidelines on SMR, which can standardise training and guidelines on SMR performed by trained lifeguards or prehospital EMS., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: There are concerns that airway management in patients with suspected or confirmed cervical spine injury may exacerbate an existing neurological deficit, cause a new spinal cord injury or be hazardous due to precautions to avoid neurological injury. However, there are no evidence-based guidelines for practicing clinicians to support safe and effective airway management in this setting., Methods: An expert multidisciplinary, multi-society working party conducted a systematic review of contemporary literature (January 2012-June 2022), followed by a three-round Delphi process to produce guidelines to improve airway management for patients with suspected or confirmed cervical spine injury., Results: We included 67 articles in the systematic review, and successfully agreed 23 recommendations. Evidence supporting recommendations was generally modest, and only one moderate and two strong recommendations were made. Overall, recommendations highlight key principles and techniques for pre-oxygenation and facemask ventilation; supraglottic airway device use; tracheal intubation; adjuncts during tracheal intubation; cricoid force and external laryngeal manipulation; emergency front-of-neck airway access; awake tracheal intubation; and cervical spine immobilisation. We also signpost to recommendations on pre-hospital care, military settings and principles in human factors., Conclusions: It is hoped that the pragmatic approach to airway management made within these guidelines will improve the safety and efficacy of airway management in adult patients with suspected or confirmed cervical spine injury., (© 2024 The Authors. Anaesthesia published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association of Anaesthetists.)

Around a third of all cervical spine injuries occur in the upper cervical spine in the area between the occiput and the second cervical vertebra. The latter being the most common location of the injury with around 70%. But also atlas fractures, occipital condyle fractures, traumatic spondylolisthesis of C2, atypical fractures in the corpus area as well as atlantooccipital and atlantoaxial ligamentous lesions should be mentioned in connection with injuries in this area. In many cases, conservative therapy regimen is possible. In unstable or displaced injuries, however, surgical intervention is required, with various surgical procedures being used. The frequency, diagnostics, classification, and standard therapy of the individual entities are presented in detail in this continuing medical education article., Competing Interests: Erklärung zu finanziellen Interessen Forschungsförderung erhalten: ja, von einer anderen Institution (Pharma- oder Medizintechnikfirma usw.); Honorar/geldwerten Vorteil für Referententätigkeit erhalten: ja, von einer anderen Institution (Pharma- oder Medizintechnikfirma usw.); Bezahlter Berater/interner Schulungsreferent/Gehaltsempfänger: ja, von einer anderen Institution (Pharma- oder Medizintechnikfirma usw.); Patent/Geschäftsanteile/Aktien (Autor/Partner, Ehepartner, Kinder) an Firma (Nicht‐Sponsor der Veranstaltung): nein; Patent/Geschäftsanteile/Aktien (Autor/Partner, Ehepartner, Kinder) an Firma (Sponsor der Veranstaltung): nein Erklärung zu nichtfinanziellen Interessen Dt. Wirbelsäulengesellschaft (Präsident elect), AO Spine (Chair Research Commission)., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Background Data: Computed Tomography (CT) is the gold standard for cervical spine (c-spine) evaluation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) emerges due to its increasing availability and the lack of radiation exposure. However, MRI is costly and time-consuming, questioning its role in the emergency department (ED). This study investigates the added the value of an additional MRI for patients presenting with a c-spine injury in the ED., Methods: We conducted a retrospective monocenter cohort study that included all patients with neck trauma presenting in the ED, who received imaging based on the NEXUS criteria. Spine surgeons performed a full-case review to classify each case into "c-spine injured" and "c-spine uninjured". Injuries were classified according to the AO Spine classification. We assessed patients with a c-spine injury detected by CT, who received a subsequent MRI. In this subset, injuries were classified separately in both imaging modalities. We monitored the treatment changes after the additional MRI to evaluate characteristics of this cohort and the impact of the AO Spine Neurology/Modifier modifiers., Results: We identified 4496 subjects, 2321 were eligible for inclusion and 186 were diagnosed with c-spine injuries in the retrospective case review. Fifty-six patients with a c-spine injury initially identified through CT received an additional MRI. The additional MRI significantly extended (geometric mean ratio 1.32, p < 0.001) the duration of the patients' stay in the ED. Of this cohort, 25% had a change in treatment strategy and among the patients with neurological symptoms (AON ≥ 1), 45.8% experienced a change in treatment. Patients that were N-positive, had a 12.4 (95% CI 2.7-90.7, p < 0.01) times higher odds of a treatment change after an additional MRI than neurologically intact patients., Conclusion and Relevance: Our study suggests that patients with a c-spine injury and neurological symptoms benefit from an additional MRI. In neurologically intact patients, an additional MRI retains value only when carefully evaluated on a case-by-case basis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: The Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury Classification (SLIC) score has not been previously validated for a pediatric population. The authors compared the SLIC treatment recommendations for pediatric subaxial cervical spine trauma with real-world pediatric spine surgery practice., Methods: A retrospective cohort study at a pediatric level 1 trauma center was conducted in patients < 18 years of age evaluated for trauma from 2012 to 2021. An SLIC score was calculated for each patient, and the subsequent recommendations were compared with actual treatment delivered. Percentage misclassification, sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV), and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) were calculated., Results: Two hundred forty-three pediatric patients with trauma were included. Twenty-five patients (10.3%) underwent surgery and 218 were managed conservatively. The median SLIC score was 2 (interquartile range = 2). Sixteen patients (6.6%) had an SLIC score of 4, for which either conservative or surgical treatment is recommended; 27 children had an SLIC score ≥ 5, indicating a recommendation for surgical treatment; and 200 children had an SLIC score ≤ 3, indicating a recommendation for conservative treatment. Of the 243 patients, 227 received treatment consistent with SLIC score recommendations (p < 0.001). SLIC sensitivity in determining surgically treated patients was 79.2% and the specificity for accurately determining who underwent conservative treatment was 96.1%. The PPV was 70.3% and the NPV was 97.5%. There was a 5.7% misclassification rate (n = 13) using SLIC. Among patients for whom surgical treatment would be recommended by the SLIC, 29.6% (n = 8) did not undergo surgery; similarly, 2.5% (n = 5) of patients for whom conservative management would be recommended by the SLIC had surgery. The ROC curve for determining treatment received demonstrated excellent discriminative ability, with an AUC of 0.96 (OR 3.12, p < 0.001). Sensitivity decreased when the cohort was split by age (< 10 and ≥ 10 years old) to 0.5 and 0.82, respectively; specificity remained high at 0.98 and 0.94., Conclusions: The SLIC scoring system recommended similar treatment when compared with the actual treatment delivered for traumatic subaxial cervical spine injuries in children, with a low misclassification rate and a specificity of 96%. These findings demonstrate that the SLIC can be useful in guiding treatment for pediatric patients with subaxial cervical spine injuries. Further investigation into the score in young children (< 10 years) using a multicenter cohort is warranted.

Background: A difficult airway is anticipated with cervical spine injuries (CSIs) as immobilization techniques such as manual in-line stabilization (MILS) are used, which distort the oro-pharyngeal-laryngeal axis. Video laryngoscopes (VLs) make difficult airway management easy, as they do not require axis alignment. The present study aimed to compare the total time taken by Macintosh laryngoscope (ML), conventional blade, and D-blade ™ of C-MAC ® VL in simulated CSI scenarios using MILS., Methods: Ninety patients were randomly allocated into three groups: Group M (ML), Group C (conventional blade of C-MAC ® ), and Group D (D-blade ™ of C-MAC ® ) with MILS applied before intubation. Primary outcome was the total time taken for successful intubation, while secondary outcomes were to assess Cormack-Lehane (CL) grade, number of attempts, hemodynamic response, and associated complications., Results: Total time for intubation in Group C was 23.40 ± 7.06 sec compared to 35.27 ± 6.53 and 47.27 ± 2.53 sec in groups D and M, respectively ( P < 0.001). CL-grade I was observed in 15/30 (50%) in Group M, 25/30 (83.3%) in Group C, and 29/30 (96.7%) in Group D. Group M reported 7/30 (23.3%) failed intubations, while none were observed in other groups. Hemodynamic parameters were significantly higher at 3 and 5 min in Group M. Postoperative sore throat was recorded in 12/30 (40%) in Group M compared to 3/30 (10%) in groups C and D each ( P value 0.037)., Conclusion: C-MAC ® VL requires less time for intubation, provides better glottic view, and has higher success, with better attenuation of hemodynamic response and fewer complications compared to ML., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Postgraduate Medicine.)

Objective: We aimed to describe spinal biomechanics and injury patterns in rowing., Methods: In this systematic literature review, a Google and PubMed literature search was undertaken using keywords "rowing," "biomechanics," and "spine.", Results: Relevant articles were reviewed and synthesized to describe biomechanics, injury patterns, treatment options, and techniques for injury prevention., Conclusions: Rowing has increased in popularity throughout the United States. Up-to-date knowledge of rowing biomechanics and spinal injury patterns is necessary for prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment of the injured rowing athlete., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

» Pediatric thoracolumbar trauma, though rare, is an important cause of morbidity and mortality and necessitates early, accurate diagnosis and management.» Obtaining a detailed history and physical examination in the pediatric population can be difficult. Therefore, the threshold for advanced imaging, such as magnetic resonance imaging, is low and should be performed in patients with head injuries, altered mental status, inability to cooperate with examination, and fractures involving more than 1 column of the spine.» The classification of pediatric thoracolumbar trauma is based primarily on adult studies and there is little high-level evidence examining validity and accuracy in pediatric populations.» Injury pattern and neurologic status of the patient are the most important factors when determining whether to proceed with operative management., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSREV/B104)., (Copyright © 2024 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)

Introduction: This narrative review aims to evaluate the impact of current spinal immobilization practices on clinical outcomes in adult trauma patients with suspected or confirmed spinal injury to direct the creation of improved practice management guidelines., Methods: PubMed, ProQuest, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane were searched for studies that evaluated the impact of spine immobilization practices during resuscitation in adult trauma patients and reported associated clinical outcomes. Outcomes included neurological deficits, in-hospital mortality, hospital length of stay (HLOS), ICU length of stay (ICU-LOS), discharge disposition, long-term functional status (modified Rankin scale), vascular injury rate, and respiratory injury rate., Results: Nine studies were included in this review, divided into two groups based on patient immobilization status. Patients compared with and without cervical immobilization had higher mortality, longer ICU-LOS, and a higher incidence of neurological deficits if immobilized. Immobilization only was associated with a higher incidence of indirect neurological injury and poor functional outcomes., Conclusion: Spinal immobilization during resuscitation in adult trauma patients is associated with a higher risk of neurological injury, in-hospital mortality, and longer ICU-LOS. Further research is needed to provide strong evidence for spinal immobilization guidelines and identify the optimal method and timing for immobilization practices in trauma patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objectives: To assess whether different cervical spine immobilisation strategies (full immobilisation, movement minimisation or no immobilisation), impact neurological and/or other outcomes for patients with suspected cervical spinal injury in the pre-hospital and emergency department setting., Design: Systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines., Data Sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library and two research registers were searched until September 2023., Eligibility Criteria: All comparative studies (prospective or retrospective) that examined the potential benefits and/or harms of immobilisation practices during pre-hospital and emergency care of patients with a potential cervical spine injury (pre-imaging) following blunt trauma., Data Extraction and Synthesis: Two authors independently selected and extracted data. Risk of bias was appraised using the Cochrane ROBINS-I tool for non-randomised studies. Data were synthesised without meta-analysis., Results: Six observational studies met the inclusion criteria. The methodological quality was variable, with most studies having serious or critical risk of bias. The effect of cervical spine immobilisation practices such as full immobilisation or movement minimisation during pre-hospital and emergency care did not show clear evidence of benefit for the prevention of neurological deterioration, spinal injuries and death compared with no immobilisation. However, increased pain, discomfort and anatomical complications were associated with collar application during immobilisation., Conclusions: Despite the limited evidence, weak designs and limited generalisability, the available data suggest that pre-hospital cervical spine immobilisation (full immobilisation or movement minimisation) was of uncertain value due to the lack of demonstrable benefit and may lead to potential complications and adverse outcomes. High-quality randomised comparative studies are required to address this important question., Trial Registration: PROSPERO REGISTRATION Fiona Lecky, Abdullah Pandor, Munira Essat, Anthea Sutton, Carl Marincowitz, Gordon Fuller, Stuart Reid, Jason Smith. A systematic review of cervical spine immobilisation following blunt trauma in pre-hospital and emergency care. PROSPERO 2022 CRD42022349600 Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display&#95;record.php?ID=CRD42022349600., Competing Interests: All authors declare grant funding to their employing institutions from the United Kingdom National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme, as outlined in the funding statement. These competing interests do not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials., (Copyright: © 2024 Pandor et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Paediatric thoracolumbar spine injuries are rare, and meaningful epidemiological data are lacking., Objectives: The aim of this study was to provide epidemiological data for paediatric patients with thoracolumbar spinal trauma in Germany with a view to enhancing future decision-making in relation to the diagnostics and treatment of these patients., Materials and Methods: A retrospective multicentre study includes patients up to 16 years of age who were suffering from thoracolumbar spine injuries who had been treated in six German spine centres between 01/2010 and 12/2016. The clinical database was analysed for patient-specific data, trauma mechanisms, level of injury, and any accompanying injuries. Diagnostic imaging and subsequent treatment were investigated. Patients were divided into three age groups for further evaluation: age group I (0-6 years), age group II (7-9 years) and age group III (10-16 years)., Results: A total of 153 children with 345 thoracolumbar spine injuries met the inclusion criteria. The mean age at the time of hospitalization due to the injury was 12.9 (± 3.1) years. Boys were likelier to be affected (1:1.3). In all age groups, falls and traffic accidents were the most common causes of thoracolumbar spine injuries. A total of 95 patients (62.1%) were treated conservatively, while 58 (37.9%) of the children underwent surgical treatment. Minimally invasive procedures were the most chosen procedures. Older children and adolescents were likelier to suffer from higher-grade injuries according to the AOSpine classification. The thoracolumbar junction (T11 to L2) was the most affected level along the thoracolumbar spine (n = 90). Neurological deficits were rarely seen in all age groups. Besides extremity injuries (n = 52, 30.2%), head injuries represented the most common accompanying injuries (n = 53, 30.8%). Regarding spinal injuries, most of the patients showed no evidence of complications during their hospital stay (96.7%)., Conclusions: The thoracolumbar junction was more frequently affected in older children and adolescents. The majority of thoracolumbar spinal column injuries were treated conservatively. Nevertheless, 37.9% of hospitalized children had to be treated surgically, and there was an acceptable complication rate for the surgeries that were performed., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Study Design: Global cross-sectional survey., Objective: To establish a surgical algorithm for sacral fractures based on the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen (AO) Spine Sacral Injury Classification System., Summary of Background Data: Although the AO Spine Sacral Injury Classification has been validated across an international audience of surgeons, a consensus on a surgical algorithm for sacral fractures using the Sacral AO Spine Injury Score (Sacral AOSIS) has yet to be developed., Methods: A survey was sent to general orthopedic surgeons, orthopedic spine surgeons, and neurosurgeons across the five AO spine regions of the world. Descriptions of controversial sacral injuries based on different fracture subtypes were given, and surgeons were asked whether the patient should undergo operative or nonoperative management. The results of the survey were used to create a surgical algorithm based on each subtype's sacral AOSIS., Results: An international agreement of 70% was decided on by the AO Spine Knowledge Forum Trauma experts to indicate a recommendation of initial operative intervention. Using this, sacral fracture subtypes of AOSIS 5 or greater were considered operative, while those with AOSIS 4 or less were generally nonoperative. For subtypes with an AOSIS of 3 or 4, if the sacral fracture was associated with an anterior pelvic ring injury (M3 case-specific modifier), intervention should be left to the surgeons' discretion., Conclusion: The AO Spine Sacral Injury Classification System offers a validated hierarchical system to approach sacral injuries. Through multispecialty and global surgeon input, a surgical algorithm was developed to determine appropriate operative indications for sacral trauma. Further validation is required, but this algorithm provides surgeons across the world with the basis for discussion and the development of standards of care and treatment., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: This review aims to evaluate current practices regarding spine immobilization in pediatric trauma patients to evaluate their efficacy, reliability, and impact on clinical outcomes to guide future research and improved evidence-based practice guidelines., Methods: PubMed, ProQuest, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane were queried for studies pertaining to spinal immobilization practices in pediatric trauma patients. Articles were separated into studies that explored both the efficacy and clinical outcomes of spine immobilization. Outcomes evaluated included frequency of spinal imaging, self-reported pain level, emergency department length of stay (ED-LOS), and ED disposition., Results: Six articles were included, with two studies examining clinical outcomes and 4 studies evaluating the efficacy and reliability of immobilization techniques. Immobilized children were significantly more likely to undergo cervical spine imaging (OR 8.2, p < 0.001), be admitted to the floor (OR 4.0, p < 0.001), be taken to the ICU or OR (OR 5.3, p < 0.05) and reported a higher median pain score. Older children were significantly more likely to be immobilized. No immobilization techniques consistently achieved neutral positioning, and patients most often presented in a flexed position. Lapses in immobilization occurred in 71.4% of patients., Conclusion: Immobilized pediatric patients underwent more cervical radiographs, and had higher hospital and ICU admission rates, and higher mean pain scores than those without immobilization. Immobilization was inconsistent across age groups and often resulted in lapses and improper alignment. Further research is needed to identify the most appropriate immobilization techniques for pediatric patients and when to use them., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Healthcare-associated pressure injuries (HAPI) are known to be associated with medical devices and are preventable. Cervical spine immobilization is commonly utilized in injured children prior to clinical clearance or for treatment of an unstable cervical spinal injury. The frequency of HAPI has been quantified in adults with cervical spine immobilization but has not been well-described in children. The aim of this study was to describe characteristics of children who developed HAPI associated with cervical immobilization., Methods: We analyzed a retrospective cohort of children (0-18 years) who developed a stage two or greater cervical HAPI. This cohort was drawn from an overall sample of 49,218 registry patients treated over a five-year period (2017-2021) at ten pediatric trauma centers. Patient demographics, injury characteristics, and cervical immobilization were tabulated to describe the population., Results: The cohort included 32 children with stage two or greater cervical HAPI. The median age was 5 years (IQR 2-13) and 78% (n = 25) were admitted to the intensive care unit. The median (IQR) time to diagnosis of HAPI was 11 (7-21) days post-injury. The majority of cervical HAPI (78%, 25/32) occurred in children requiring immobilization for cervical injuries, with only four children developing HAPI after wearing a prophylactic cervical collar in the absence of a cervical spine injury., Conclusion: Advanced-stage HAPI associated with cervical collar use in pediatric trauma patients is rare and usually occurs in patients with cervical spine injuries requiring immobilization for treatment. More expedient cervical spine clearance with MRI is unlikely to substantially reduce cervical HAPI in injured children., Level of Evidence: Level III (Epidemiologic and Prognostic)., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest None of the authors have any personal or financial conflicts to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pediatric spine trauma is rare but presents unique challenges to clinical management. Special considerations include but are not limited to the need to minimize ionizing radiation in this patient population, anatomic immaturity, physiologic variants, and injuries seen only in the pediatric population. Here we review the epidemiology of pediatric spine trauma, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of the most common injuries and discuss specific medical and surgical strategies for treatment., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Objective: This study aims to assess the change in cervical spine (C-spine) immobilization frequency in trauma patients over time. We hypothesize that the frequency of unnecessary C-spine immobilization has decreased., Methods: A retrospective chart review of adult trauma patients transported to our American College of Surgeons-verified Level I trauma center from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2021, was performed. Emergency medical services documentation was manually reviewed to record prehospital physiology and the application of a prehospital cervical collar (c-collar). C-spine injuries were defined as cervical vertebral fractures and/or spinal cord injuries. Univariate and year-by-year trend analyses were used to assess changes in C-spine injury and immobilization frequency., Results: Among 2906 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 12% sustained C-spine injuries, while 88% did not. Patients with C-spine injuries were more likely to experience blunt trauma (95% vs. 68%, p < 0.001), were older (46 years vs. 41 years, p < 0.001), and had higher Injury Severity Scores (31 vs. 18, p < 0.001). They also exhibited lower initial systolic blood pressures (108 mm Hg vs. 119 mm Hg, p < 0.001), lower heart rates (92 beats/min vs. 97 beats/min, p < 0.05), and lower Glasgow Coma Scale scores (9 vs. 11, p < 0.001). In blunt trauma, c-collars were applied to 83% of patients with C-spine injuries and 75% without; for penetrating trauma, c-collars were applied to 50% of patients with C-spine injuries and only 8% without. Among penetrating trauma patients with C-spine injury, all patients either arrived quadriplegic or did not require emergent neurosurgical intervention. The proportion of patients receiving a c-collar decreased in both blunt and penetrating traumas from 2014 to 2021 (blunt-82% in 2014 to 68% in 2021; penetrating-24% in 2014 to 6% in 2021)., Conclusions: Unnecessary C-spine stabilization has decreased from 2014 to 2021. However, c-collars are still being applied to patients who do not need them, both in blunt and in penetrating trauma cases, while not being applied to patients who would benefit from them., (© 2023 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.)

Neurotrauma means head or spine injury caused by an external force. Neurotraumatology care requires coordinated teamwork on the part of specialists, including psychological care as part of the multidisciplinary treatment team. Psychological interventions in the field of neurotraumatology aim to address the psychological consequences and challenges associated with head or spine injury. These interventions play a vital role in crisis intervention, promoting recovery, enhancing quality of life, and supporting individuals and their families in coping with the psychological impact of neurotrauma. Serious physical injuries always cause severe psychological consequences, both in short and long term. A critical accident is a sudden, unexpected, often directly life-threatening event that exceeds the individual's ability to respond and can create a potential crisis response, including suicidal risk, as well as the development of psychological disorders, in most cases acute stress disorder, adjustment disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychological interventions in neurotraumatology are often provided by a multidisciplinary team that may include psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and other healthcare professionals. These interventions are tailored to the unique needs and circumstances of each individual, with the goal of reducing psychological symptomps, promoting psychological well-being, adjustment, and overall recovery following neurotrauma. It is essential that not only patients who have experienced severe physical trauma, but also their family members have access to expert psychological support. This study summarizes psychological interventions during the treatment of neurotaruma patients at the intensive care unit.

Background: Traumatic spinal injuries in children are uncommon and result in different patterns of injuries due to the anatomical characteristics of children's spines. However, there are only a few epidemiological studies of traumatic spinal injury in children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of traumatic spinal injury in children., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the cases of pediatric patients (age < 18 years) with traumatic spinal injury who were treated at a level 1 trauma center between January 2017 and December 2021. We divided them into three groups according to age and analyzed demographics, injury mechanism, level of injury, and injury pattern., Results: A total of 62 patients (255 fractures) were included, and the mean age was 13.8 ± 3.2 years. There were 5 patients (22 fractures) in group I (0-9 years), 24 patients (82 fractures) in group II (10-14 years), and 33 patients (151 fractures) in group III (15-17 years). Both the Injury Severity Score and the Revised Trauma Score were highest in group I, but there was no statistical difference between the age groups. Fall from height was the most common injury mechanism, of which 63% were suicide attempts. The level of spinal injury was different in each age group, T10-L2 injury being the most common. In all age groups, the number of multilevel continuous injury was larger than that of single-level injury or multilevel noncontinuous injury. Surgical intervention was required in 33.9%, and mortality was 3.2%., Conclusions: In our study, fall from height was the most common mechanism of injury, and there were many suicide attempts associated with mental health issues. Thoracolumbar junction injuries were predominant, and the rate of multilevel contiguous injuries was high. The support and interest of the society and families for adolescent children seem crucial in preventing spinal trauma, and image testing of the entire spine is essential when evaluating pediatric spinal injuries., Competing Interests: CONFLICT OF INTEREST: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (Copyright © 2023 by The Korean Orthopaedic Association.)

Background: Traumatic spinal injury (TSI) is associated with significant fatality and social burden; however, the epidemiology and treatment of patients with TSI in the US remain unclear., Materials and Methods: An adult population was selected from the National Inpatient Sample database from 2016 to 2019. TSI incidence was calculated and TSI-related hospitalizations were divided into operative and nonoperative groups according to the treatments received. TSIs were classified as fracture, dislocation, internal organ injury, nerve root injury, or sprain injuries based on their nature. The annual percentage change (APC) was calculated to identify trends. In-hospital deaths were utilized to evaluate the prognosis of different TSIs., Results: Overall, 95 047 adult patients were hospitalized with TSI in the US from 2016 to 2019, with an incidence rate of 48.4 per 100 000 persons in 2019 (95% CI: 46.2-50.6). The total incidence increased with an APC of 1.5% (95% CI: 0.1-3%) from 2016 to 2019. Operative TSI treatment was more common than nonoperative (32.8 vs. 3.8; 95% CI: 32.3-33.2 vs. 3.6-4%). The number of operations increased from 37 555 (95% CI: 34 674-40 436) to 40 460 (95% CI: 37 372-43 548); however, the operative rate only increased for internal organ injury (i.e. spinal cord injury [SCI])-related hospitalizations (APC, 3.6%; 95% CI: 2.8-4.4%). In-hospital mortality was highest among SCI-related hospitalizations, recorded at 3.9% (95% CI: 2.9-5%) and 28% (95% CI: 17.9-38.2%) in the operative and nonoperative groups, respectively., Conclusions: The estimated incidence of TSI in US adults increased from 2016 to 2019. The number of operations increased; however, the proportion of operations performed on TSI-related hospitalizations did not significantly change. In 2019, SCI was the highest associated mortality TSI, regardless of operative or nonoperative treatment., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background and Objectives : In the context of prehospital care, spinal immobilization is commonly employed to maintain cervical stability in head and neck injury patients. However, its use in cases of unclear consciousness or major trauma patients is often precautionary, pending the exclusion of unstable spinal injuries through appropriate diagnostic imaging. The impact of prehospital C-spinal immobilization in these specific patient populations remains uncertain. Materials and Methods : We conducted a retrospective cohort study at Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital from January 2009 to May 2019, focusing on trauma patients suspected of head and neck injuries. The primary outcome assessed was in-hospital mortality. We employed multivariable logistic regression to investigate the relationship between prehospital C-spine immobilization and outcomes, while adjusting for various factors such as age, gender, type of traumatic brain injury, Injury Severity Score (ISS), Revised Trauma Score (RTS), and activation of trauma team. Results : Our analysis encompassed 2733 patients. Among these, patients in the unclear consciousness group (GCS ≤ 8) who underwent C-spine immobilization exhibited a higher mortality rate than those without immobilization. However, there was no statistically significant difference in mortality among patients with alert consciousness (GCS > 8). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that advanced age (age ≥ 65), unclear consciousness (GCS ≤ 8), major traumatic injuries (ISS ≥ 16 and RTS ≤ 7), and the use of neck collars for immobilization (adjusted OR: 1.850, 95% CI: 1.240-2.760, p = 0.003) were significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality. Subgroup analysis indicated that C-spine immobilization was significantly linked to an elevated risk of mortality in older adults (age ≥ 65), patients with unclear consciousness (GCS ≤ 8), those with major traumatic injuries (ISS ≥ 16 and RTS ≤ 7), and individuals in shock (shock index > 1). Conclusions : While our findings do not advocate for the complete abandonment of neck collars in all suspected head and neck injury patients, our study suggests that prehospital cervical and spinal immobilization should be applied more selectively in certain head and neck injury populations. This approach is particularly relevant for older individuals (age ≥ 65), those with unclear consciousness (GCS ≤ 8), individuals experiencing major traumatic injuries (ISS ≥ 16 or RTS ≤ 7), and patients in a state of shock (shock index ≥ 1). Our study employs a retrospective cohort design, which may introduce selection bias. Therefore, in the future, there is a need for confirmation of our results through a two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) arises, as this design is considered ideal for addressing this issue.

Objective: Blunt trauma patients with potential cervical spine injury are traditionally immobilised in rigid collars. Recently, this has been challenged. The present study's objective was comparison of the rate of patient-oriented adverse events in stable, alert, low-risk patients with potential cervical spine injuries immobilised in rigid versus soft collars., Methods: Unblinded, prospective quasi-randomised clinical trial of neurologically intact, adult, blunt trauma patients assessed as having potential cervical spine injury. Patients were randomised to collar type. All other aspects of care were unchanged. Primary outcome was patient-reported discomfort related to neck immobilisation by collar type. Secondary outcomes included adverse neurological events, agitation and clinically important cervical spine injuries (clinical trial registration number: ACTRN12621000286842)., Results: A total of 137 patients were enrolled: 59 patients allocated to a rigid collar and 78 to a soft collar. Most injuries were from a fall <1 m (54%) or a motor vehicle crash (21.9%). Median neck pain score of collar immobilisation was lower in the soft collar group (3.0 [interquartile range 0-6.1] vs 6.0 [interquartile range 3-8.8], P < 0.001). The proportion of patients with clinician-identified agitation was lower in the soft collar group (5% vs 17%, P = 0.04). There were four clinically important cervical spine injuries (two in each group). All were treated conservatively. There were no adverse neurological events., Conclusions: Use of soft rather than rigid collar immobilisation for low-risk blunt trauma patients with potential cervical spine injury is significantly less painful for patients and results in less agitation. A larger study is needed to determine the safety of this approach or whether collars are required at all., (© 2023 The Authors. Emergency Medicine Australasia published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian College for Emergency Medicine.)

Study Design: Retrospective Cohort Study., Objective: To determine how historical management of thoracolumbar spine injuries compares to the recently proposed AO Spine Thoracolumbar Injury Classification System treatment algorithm., Summary of Background Data: Classifications of the thoracolumbar spine are not uncommon. The frequent advent of new classifications is typically due to previous classifications being primarily descriptive or unreliable. Thus, AO Spine created a classification with an associated treatment algorithm to guide injury classification and management., Methods: Thoracolumbar spine injuries were retrospectively identified from a prospectively collected spine trauma database at a single, urban, academic medical center during the years 2006 to 2021. Each injury was classified and assigned points based on the AO Spine Thoracolumbar Injury Classification System injury severity score. Patients were grouped into scores of 3 or less (preferred initial conservative treatment) and greater than 6 (preferred initial surgical intervention). Either operative or non-operative treatment was considered appropriate for injury severity scores of 4 or 5., Results: A total of 815 patients (TL AOSIS 0-3: 486, TL AOSIS 4-5: 150, TL AOSIS 6+: 179) met inclusion status. Injury severity scores of 0-3 were more likely to undergo non-operative management compared to scores of 4-5 or 6+ (99.0% vs. 74.7% vs. 13.4%, P <0.001). Thus, guideline congruent treatment was 99.0%, 100%, and 86.6%, respectively ( P <0.001). Most injuries determined to be a 4 or 5 were treated non-operatively (74.7%). Based on the treatment algorithm, 97.5% of patients who received operative treatment and 96.1% who received non-operative treatment were managed in accordance with the algorithm. Of the 29 patients who did not receive algorithm congruent treatment, 5 (17.2%) were treated surgically., Conclusions: A retrospective review of thoracolumbar spine injuries at our urban academic medical center identified that patients are historically treated in accordance with the proposed AO Spine Thoracolumbar Injury Classification System treatment algorithm., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Acute management of trauma patients with potential spine injuries has evolved from uniform spinal immobilization (SI) to spinal motion restriction (SMR). Little research exists describing how these changes have been implemented. This study aims to describe and analyze the practice of SMR in one emergency medical services (EMS) agency over the time frame of SMR adoption., Methods: This was a retrospective database review of electronic patient care reports from 2009 to 2020. The effects of key practice changes (revised documentation and a collar-only treatment option) were analyzed in an interrupted time series using the rate of SI/SMR as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included patient age, sex, acuity, mechanism of injury, treatment provided, cervical collar size, and positioning. These were assessed for changes from year to year by Poisson regression. Associations between patient and treatment characteristics were investigated with binomial logistic regression., Results: There were 25,747 instances of SI/SMR included. Among all patients, the median age was 40 (interquartile range 24-56), 58% (14,970) were male, and 20% (5062) were high-acuity. The rate of SI/SMR declined from 31.2 to 12.7 treatments per 100 trauma calls per month. The proportion of high-acuity patients increased by 9.6% per year on average (95% CI 8.7%-10.0%). When first available, collar-only treatment was provided to 47% of patients, rising by 6.3% per year (95% CI 3.2%-9.5%) to 60% in 2020. Collar-only treatment (compared to board-and-collar) was more likely to be applied to low-acuity patients (as compared to high): odds ratio 3.01 (95% CI 2.64-3.43)., Conclusions: This study shows decreasing SI/SMR treatment and changing patient and practice characteristics. These patterns of care cannot be attributed solely to formal protocol changes. Similar patterns and their possible explanations should be investigated elsewhere., (© 2023 The Authors. Academic Emergency Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.)

Sports participation is a leading cause of catastrophic cervical spine injury (CSI) in the United States. Appropriate prehospital care for athletes with suspected CSIs should be available at all levels of sport. Planning the process of transport for home venues before the start of the season and ensuring that a medical time out occurs at home and away games can reduce complications of transport decisions on the field of play and expedite transport of the spine-injured athlete., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In the past, spinal trauma was frequent in high- and middle-income regions of the world with high rates of automobility and was considered a "young men's disease." However, over the last 2 decades, both of these factors have changed dramatically. This has had important implications for our methods of diagnosis, treatment, and the organization of care.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to provide epidemiological data of pediatric patients suffering from cervical spinal trauma in Germany, in order to integrate these data in future decision-making processes concerning diagnosis and therapy., Materials and Methods: Retrospective multicenter study includes all patients up to 16 years suffering from cervical spine injuries who were treated in six German spine centers between 01/2010 and 12/2016. The clinical databases were screened for specific trauma mechanism, level of injury as well as accompanying injuries. Diagnostic imaging and the chosen therapy were analyzed. Patients were divided into three age groups for further evaluation: age group I (0-6 years), age group II (7-9 years), age group III (10-16 years)., Results: A total of 214 children with 265 cervical spine injuries were included during the mentioned period. The mean age at the time of injury was 11.9 (± 3.9) years. In age group I, 24 (11.2%) patients were included, age group II consisted of 22 patients (10.3%), and 168 patients belonged to age group III (78.5%). Girls and boys were equally affected. In all age groups, falls and traffic accidents were the most common causes of cervical spine injuries. A total of 180 patients (84.1%) were treated conservatively, while 34 (15.9%) children underwent surgery. Distorsion/whiplash injury was the most common entity (n = 165; 68.2%). Children aged 0-9 years had significantly (p < 0.001) more frequent injuries of the upper cervical spine (C0-C2) compared to older age groups. Patients of age group III were more likely to suffer from injuries in subaxial localizations. Neurological deficits were rarely seen in all age groups. Head injuries did represent the most common accompanying injuries (39.8%, n = 92)., Conclusions: The upper cervical spine was more frequently affected in young children. Older children more often suffered from subaxial pathologies. The majority of cervical spinal column injuries were treated conservatively. Nevertheless, 15% of the hospitalized children had to be treated surgically., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Prompt detection of traumatic cervical spine injury is important as delayed or missed diagnosis can have disastrous consequences. Given the understood mechanism of non-accidental trauma (NAT), it is reasonable to suspect that cervical spine injury can occur. Current management of young children being evaluated for NAT includes placement of a rigid collar until clinical clearance or an MRI can be obtained. Currently, there exists a lack of robust data to guide cervical bracing. Anecdotally, our group has not observed a single patient with a diagnosis of NAT who required operative stabilization for cervical spine instability. This study will be the largest series to date and aims to systematically investigate this observation to determine the likelihood that children with a diagnosis of NAT harbor cervical spine instability related to their injuries., Methods: Patient data from the Children's Hospital Colorado Trauma Registry diagnosed with non-burn-only NAT were reviewed retrospectively. Children less than 4 years of age pulled from the registry from January 1, 2005, to March 31, 2021, were included. Demographic, admission/discharge, imaging, and clinic management data were collected for each patient and analyzed., Results: There were 1008 patients included in the cohort. The age at presentation ranged from 5 days to 4 years (mean 10.4 months). No patient had X-ray or CT findings concerning for cervical instability. Three patients had MRI findings concerning for cervical instability. Two of these underwent external bracing, and the third died from unrelated injuries during their hospitalization. Only four patients were discharged in a cervical collar, and all were ultimately cleared from bracing. No patient underwent a spinal stabilization procedure., Conclusions: While the mechanism of injury in many NAT cases would seem to make significant cervical spine injury possible, this single-center retrospective review of a large experience indicates that such injury is exceedingly rare. Further study is merited to understand the underlying pathophysiology. However, it is reasonable to consider cervical collar clearance in the setting of normal radiographs and a reassuring neurological exam. Furthermore, if concerns exist regarding cervical spine instability on MRI, an initial trial of conservative management is warranted., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: Major trauma has seen a demographic shift in recent years and it is expected that the elderly population will comprise a greater burden on the major trauma service in the near future. However, whether a similar trend exists in those undergoing operative intervention for spinal trauma remains to be elucidated., Aims: To compare the presentation and outcomes of patients ≥65 years of age sustaining spine trauma to those <65 years at a national tertiary referral spine centre., Methods: The local Trauma Audit Research Network (TARN) database was analysed to identify spinal patients referred to our institution, a national tertiary referral centre, between 01/2016 and 05/2019. Patients were divided into a young cohort (16-64 years old) and an elderly cohort (> 64 years old). No explicit distinction was made between major and minor spine trauma cases. Variables analysed included patient demographics, injury severity, mortality, interventions, mechanism of injury and length of hospital stay., Results: A total of 669 patients were admitted of which 480 patients underwent operative intervention for spinal trauma. Within the elderly cohort, this represented 75.3% of cases. Among the younger population, road traffic collisions were the most common mechanism of injury (37.1%), while low falls (<2 m) (57.4%) were the most common mechanism among the older population. Patients ≥65 years old had significantly longer length of stay (21 days [1-194] v 14 days [1-183]) and suffered higher 30-day mortality rates (4.6% [0-12] v 0.97% [0-4])., Conclusion: Orthopaedic spinal trauma in older people is associated with a significantly higher mortality rate as well as a longer duration of hospitalization. Even though severity of injury is similar for both young and old patients, the mechanism of injury for the older population is of typically much lower energy compared to the high energy trauma affecting younger patients., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest None., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Universal spinal immobilization has been the standard of prehospital trauma care since the 1960s. Selective immobilization has been shown to be safe and effective for emergency medical services use, but it is unclear whether such protocols reduce unnecessary and potentially harmful immobilization practices. This study evaluated the impact of a selective spinal immobilization protocol on practice patterns in a regional trauma system., Methods: All encounters for traumatic injury in the Tidewater Emergency Medical Services region from 2010 to 2016 were extracted from the Virginia Pre-Hospital Information Bridge. An interrupted time series analysis was used to assess practice change after system-wide protocol implementation in 2013. Intravenous access was used as a nonequivalent outcome measure in the absence of an appropriate control group., Results: A total of 63,981 encounters were analyzed. At baseline, 16.7% of patients underwent full immobilization. The preprotocol slope was slightly positive (0.2% per month; 95% confidence interval, 0.1-0.2%). Slope and level changes after protocol implementation did not differ from those observed for intravenous access (-0.4% vs. -0.4% per month [ p = 0.4917] and -1.6% vs. -1.1% [ p = 0.1202], respectively). Cervical spinal immobilization became more common over the postimplementation period (0.1% per month; 95% confidence interval, 0.1-0.1%). Rates of immobilization for isolated penetrating trauma remained unchanged., Conclusion: Implementation of a selective spinal immobilization protocol did not reduce prehospital immobilization rates in a regional trauma system. Given the entrenched nature of immobilization practices, more intensive education and training strategies are needed. Efforts should prioritize eliminating immobilization for isolated penetrating trauma given its association with increased mortality., Level of Evidence: Therapeutic/Care Management; Level IV., (Copyright © 2022 American Association for the Surgery of Trauma.)

Objective: The objective of this study was to better understand the variability that exists in the contemporary pediatric cervical spine (c-spine) clearance protocols and how this variability affects clinical practice and outcomes., Background Data: Pediatric c-spine injury is a rare but potentially devastating event. In the adult population, validated tools, such as the National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS) criteria and the Canadian C-spine Rule, are available to aid in safely clearing the c-spine clinically while reducing the utilization of radiography. In the pediatric population, no standardized, validated tool exists, leading to variability in protocols that are put to use., Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in Cochrane, Embase, PubMed/MEDLINE, and Web of Science electronic databases from January 1, 2009 until April 30, 2021. Data were extracted from studies that met inclusion criteria. Quality of the included studies was assessed using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS) criteria., Results: There were 19 studies included in this systematic review. From these 19 studies, there were 16 unique protocols, 12 of which (75%) utilized some or all NEXUS criteria. Of the protocols that provided a detailed imaging algorithm (N=14), 12 (85.7%) utilized x-rays as the initial imaging modality. Indications for computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging varied widely across the protocols. The rate of x-rays, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging utilization ranged from 16.7% to 97.8%, 5.4% to 100%, and 0% to 100%, respectively. Ten studies evaluated the efficacy of protocol implementation, with 9 (90%) of these studies showing an overall reduction of imaging rates in the postprotocol period. No clinically significant missed injuries were reported in the included studies., Conclusions: Details of c-spine clearance protocols differed significantly across the included studies, but many applied some or all NEXUS criteria. Overall, while variable, protocols served to safely treat pediatric patients without missing any clinically significant c-spine injuries, while reducing radiation exposure., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Spinal injuries are difficult injuries to assess yet can be associated with significant neurological damage. To avoid secondary damage, immobilization is considered state of the art trauma care. The indication for spinal immobilization must be assessed, however, for potential complications as well as its advantages and disadvantages., Methods: This systematic review addressing the question of the correct indication for spinal immobilization in trauma patients was compiled on the basis of our previously published analysis of possible predictors from the Trauma Registry of the German Society for Trauma Surgery. A Delphi procedure was then used to develop suggestions for action regarding immobilization based on the results of this review., Results: The search of the literature yielded 576 publications. The 24 publications included in the qualitative analysis report of 2 228 076 patients. A decision tool for spinal immobilization in prehospital trauma care was developed (Immo traffic light system) based on the results of the Delphi procedure. According to this system, severely injured patients with blunt trauma, severe traumatic brain injury, peripheral neurological symptoms, or spinal pain requiring treatment should be immobilized. Patients with a statistically increased risk of spinal injury as a result of the four cardinal features (fall >3m, severe trunk injury, supra clavicular injury, seniority [age >65 years]) should only have their spinal motion restricted after weighing up the pros and cons. Isolated penetrating trunk injuries should not be immobilized., Conclusion: High-quality studies demonstrating the benefit of prehospital spinal immobilization are still lacking. Decision tools such as the Immo traffic light system can help weigh up the pros and cons of immobilization.

Background: There is scant literature comparing high tidal volume ventilation (HTV) over low tidal volume (LTV) ventilation in acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI)., Objective: The aim of this prospective randomized controlled parallel-group, single-blinded study was to compare the effect of two different tidal volumes (12-15 mL/kg and 6-8 mL/kg) in CSCI on days to achieve ventilator-free breathing (VFB), PaO 2 /FIO 2 ratio, the incidence of complications, requirement of vasopressor drugs, total duration of hospital stay, and mortality., Materials and Methods: We enrolled patients with acute high traumatic CSCI admitted to the neurotrauma intensive care unit within 24 h of injury, requiring mechanical ventilation. Participants were randomized to receive either HTV, 12-15 mL/kg (group H) or LTV, 6-8 mL/kg (group L) tidal volume ventilation., Results and Conclusions: A total of 56 patients, 28 in each group were analyzed. Patient demographics and injury severity were comparable between the groups. VFB was achieved in 23 and 19 patients in groups H and L, respectively. The median number of days required to achieve VFB was 3 (2, 56) and 8 (2, 50) days, P = 0.33; PaO 2 : FIO 2 ratio was 364.0 ± 64 and 321.0 ± 67.0, P = 0.01; the incidence of atelectasis was 25% and 46%, P = 0.16, respectively, in group H and group L. The hemodynamic parameters and the vasopressor requirement were comparable in both groups. There was no barotrauma. The duration of hospital stay (P = 0.2) and mortality (P = 0.2) was comparable in both groups. There was no significant difference in days to achieve ventilator-free breathing with HTV (12-15 mL/kg) ventilation compared to LTV (6-8 mL/kg) ventilation in acute CSCI. The PaO 2 :FiO 2 ratio was higher with the use of 12-15 mL/kg. No difference in mortality and duration of hospital stay was seen in either group., Competing Interests: None

Background: Adult studies have demonstrated the efficacy of written protocols for clearance of the cervical spine. However, less than half of recently surveyed pediatric trauma centers report using a documented protocol. Little data exists on such protocols in pediatric populations, but interest remains because of potential reductions in radiation exposure, time to clearance, hospital stay, and specialist referral. However, missed injury can have devastating consequences. The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy in detecting injury of an implemented cervical spine clearance protocol at a level-1 pediatric trauma hospital., Methods: A retrospective review was performed on pediatric patients presenting as activated traumas to the emergency department of a single level-1 pediatric trauma hospital between May 2010 and October 2018. This institution has utilized a written cervical spine clearance protocol throughout this time. Presence of cervical spine injury, documented clearance, cervical spine imaging, and follow-up documentation were reviewed for any missed injuries., Results: There were no missed cervical spine injuries. Five-hundred sixty-three clinically significant cervical spine injuries were identified, representing 16.5% of patients. Of these, 96 were fractures, dislocations, or ligamentous injuries, representing 2.8% of all patients. Most cervical spine clearances were performed by trauma surgery. Advanced imaging of the cervical spine was ordered for 43.2% of patients overall and trended down over time., Conclusion: Documented cervical spine clearance protocols are effective for detection of significant injury in pediatric trauma patients. This study suggests these protocols minimize risk of missed injury and may prevent unnecessary radiation exposure, delayed clearance, prolonged hospitalization, or unnecessary specialist referral., Clinical Relevance: Utilization of a standard written protocol for cervical spine clearance likely prevents missed injury and helps to minimize radiation exposure in pediatric populations. Further research is needed on evaluation and management of pediatric cervical spine trauma., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

While the role of the London Hospital in delineating diseases of the nervous system is widely accepted, its role in developing the speciality of spinal injuries in the United Kingdom has not been acknowledged. The pioneering efforts of Henry Head and George Riddoch provided the foundation for the successful treatment of patients with spinal injuries. Julian Holland-Hibbert, a trustee of the London Hospital and himself a paraplegic, by his magnificent unselfish effort made sure that patients with a spinal injury could live independent, fulfilled lives in society.

Background: Several studies have shown an association between achieving decompression of the spinal cord within a few hours and neurological recovery, even in patients with complete paralysis due to cervical spine dislocation. This study aimed to clarify the impact of helicopter emergency medical services (HEMSs) and craniocervical traction on the rapid reduction of lower cervical spine dislocation in rural Japan., Methods: The success rate of and factors inhibiting closed reduction, the time from injury to reduction and the functional prognosis of lower cervical spine dislocations treated between July 2012 and February 2020 were retrospectively analysed., Results: Fourteen patients were transported by HEMS (group H), seven by ambulance (group A) and two by themselves. Although the average traveled distance and injury severity score were significantly higher in group H (64.5 km, 28.0) than in group A (24.7 km, 18.6), there was no significant difference in the average time to admission or the time to initiation of craniocervical traction after admission between groups H (159.4 min, 52.2 min) and A (163.6 min, 53.2 min). The success rate of closed reduction was 95%, and neurological deterioration was not observed in any cases. The average traction time and weight for reduction were 30.3 min and 16.3 kg, respectively. Body size and fracture-dislocation type did not significantly affect the traction time or weight. The rate of reduction within 4 h after injury was higher in group H (79%) than in group A (33%). Inner fixations were treated an average of 5.7 days after admission. After treatment, three of nine AIS A patients recovered the ability to walk, and all three patients underwent successful closed reduction within 4 h after injury., Conclusion: HEMS and highly successful closed reduction contributed to the early reduction of cervical spine dislocation and can potentially improve complete paralysis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no competing financial or non-financial interests., (Copyright © 2021 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Spinal fractures are the third most common traumatic injury in older people, of which cervical spine injuries make up around 15%. They are predominantly seen in people living with frailty who fall from standing height. Spinal fractures in this patient group are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality (over 40% at 1 year). For many older people who survive, their injuries will be life changing. Practice between EDs varies significantly, with no universally accepted guidelines on either assessment, investigation or management specific to older people experiencing trauma. This expert practice review examines the current evidence and emergency management options in this patient group through clinical scenarios, with the aim of providing a more unified approach to management., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs), particularly those associated with entrapment, are a common cause of major trauma. Current extrication methods are focused on spinal movement minimisation and mitigation, but for many patients self-extrication may be an appropriate alternative. Older drivers and passengers are increasingly injured in MVCs and may be at an increased risk of entrapment and its deleterious effects. The aim of this study is to describe the injuries, trapped status, outcomes, and potential for self-extrication for patients following an MVC across a range of age groups., Methods: This is a retrospective study using the Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) database. Patients were included if they were admitted to an English hospital following an MVC from 2012 to 2019. Patients were excluded when their outcomes were not known or if they were secondary transfers. Simple descriptive analysis was used across the age groups: 16-59, 60-69, 70-79 and 80+  years. Logistic regression was performed to develop a model with known confounders, considering the odds of death by age group, and examining any interaction between age and trapped status with mortality., Results: 70,027 patients met the inclusion criteria. Older patients were more likely to be trapped and to die following an MVC (p < 0.0001). Head, abdominal and limb injuries were more common in the young with thoracic and spinal injuries being more common in older patients (all p < 0.0001). No statistical difference was found between the age groups in relation to ability to self-extricate. After adjustment for confounders, the 80 + age group were more likely to die if they were trapped; adjusted OR trapped 30.2 (19.8-46), not trapped 24.2 (20.1-29.2)., Conclusions: Patients over the age of 80 are more likely to die when trapped following an MVC. Self-extrication should be considered the primary route of egress for patients of all ages unless it is clearly impracticable or unachievable. For those patients who cannot self-extricate, a minimally invasive extrication approach should be employed to minimise entrapment time., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Prehospital spinal immobilization is a widely used procedure in the emergency medical service (EMS) system worldwide, while the incidence of patients with spinal injury (SI) is relatively low, and unnecessary prehospital spinal immobilization is associated with patient complications. This study aimed to determine the association between prehospital spine immobilization and favorable functional outcomes at hospital discharge among trauma patients with SI. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Pan-Asia Trauma Outcomes Study (PATOS) registry data from January 1, 2016, to November 30, 2018. A total of 759 patients with SI were enrolled from 43,752 trauma patients in the PATOS registry during the study period. The subjects had a median age of 58 years (Q1-Q3, 41-72), and 438 (57.7%) patients had prehospital spine immobilization. Overall, prehospital spinal immobilization was not associated with favorable functional outcomes at discharge in multivariable logistic regression (aOR 1.06; 95% CI 0.62-1.81, p = 0.826). However, in the subgroup of cervical SI, prehospital spinal immobilization was associated with favorable functional outcomes at discharge (aOR 3.14; 95% CI 1.04-9.50; p = 0.043). Therefore, we suggest that paramedics should be more careful when determining the presence of a cervical SI and should apply full spine immobilization if possible., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Spinal collars were introduced in 1967 into the management of spinal trauma care as it was thought that this technique of immobilisation would prevent any further neurological or spinal damage in high-risk patients. The aim of this systematic review was to determine whether the use of spinal collars in the pre-hospital trauma patient was recommended by published literature., Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted between 1990 and 2020, screening PubMed, Medline, Science Direct and Google Scholar. The consequent findings were then qualitatively synthesised with the aim of effectively evaluating the evidence to resolve the discrepancy between current practice and literature., Results: Of the nine eligible studies, six deemed that spinal collars should not be used in pre-hospital trauma patients with the remaining three reporting uncertainty if spinal collars were best practice. Our results suggest that there is a discrepancy between current guidance and practice in that although the guidelines recommend the use of spinal collars in the pre-hospital setting the majority of the studies were against the use of spinal collars. Importantly, none of the studies reported any benefits of spinal collars., Conclusion: Our study shows a disparity between current guidelines and the published literature and warrants further direct research to obtain a more comprehensive view of the use of spinal collars in a pre-hospital setting., (© 2020. The Author(s).)