126. Epidemiology of cervical spinal fractures in the US: an NEISS analysis 2001-2019

Abstract

BACKGROUND CONTEXT The epidemiology of cervical spinal fractures in the US general population remains largely unknown. These data may help optimize treatment and management interventions and reduce the incidence of cervical spinal fractures. PURPOSE The objective of this study is to evaluate the demographics, mechanism of injury and disposition over time in cervical fracture patients. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Retrospective cohort. PATIENT SAMPLE Patient information was retroactively obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). We identified all patients with cervical spinal injuries who presented to US hospital emergency departments between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2019. OUTCOME MEASURES Study endpoints were incidence rates (IR), patient demographics including age, sex, race, disposition, and mechanism of injury. METHODS The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was queried to identify all patients with cervical spinal injuries that presented to US hospital emergency departments between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2019. Patient demographics including age, sex, race, disposition and mechanism of injury were also collected. Using census data provided by the US Census Bureau, we determined incidence rates (IR) (1 million person-years) over time of cervical spinal fractures with regard to patient age, sex and race per year. RESULTS A total of 7,760 patients were identified. An estimated national total of 53,514 cervical fractures occurred during this period, with an incidence rate of 9.0 [7.4 - 10.6]. Of the total cervical fractures, 4.0% occurred in patients aged 18-24 (IR 3.5 [2.2 - 4.82]), 5.8% aged 25-34 (IR 4.1), 6.2% aged 35-44 (IR 4.2), 9.7% aged 45-54 (IR 7.4), 12.0% aged 55-64 (IR 9.0), 15.8% aged 65-74 (IR 16.6), 22.2% aged 75-84 (IR 43.3), and 24.2% aged above 85 (IR 95.3). Among total fractures, 51.4% (IR 53.6) occurred in male patients while 48.6% (IR 46.8) occur in female patients; 88.9% were White (IR 6.7) and 6.7% were Black (IR 5.2); 77.1% of all fractures resulted from a fall. The most common disposition was inpatient admission of 54.3%. CONCLUSIONS Multiple trends with regard to patient-related demographics were observed in our statistical analyses. The rate of cervical fractures was greater with higher age resulting from falls. This study highlights the epidemiology of cervical spinal fractures in US patients, which can help optimize treatment and management plans targeted at high-risk groups. Future research should aim toward analyzing different interventional methods and their efficacy in minimizing the incidence of cervical fractures. FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs. The epidemiology of cervical spinal fractures in the US general population remains largely unknown. These data may help optimize treatment and management interventions and reduce the incidence of cervical spinal fractures. The objective of this study is to evaluate the demographics, mechanism of injury and disposition over time in cervical fracture patients. Retrospective cohort. Patient information was retroactively obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). We identified all patients with cervical spinal injuries who presented to US hospital emergency departments between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2019. Study endpoints were incidence rates (IR), patient demographics including age, sex, race, disposition, and mechanism of injury. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was queried to identify all patients with cervical spinal injuries that presented to US hospital emergency departments between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2019. Patient demographics including age, sex, race, disposition and mechanism of injury were also collected. Using census data provided by the US Census Bureau, we determined incidence rates (IR) (1 million person-years) over time of cervical spinal fractures with regard to patient age, sex and race per year. A total of 7,760 patients were identified. An estimated national total of 53,514 cervical fractures occurred during this period, with an incidence rate of 9.0 [7.4 - 10.6]. Of the total cervical fractures, 4.0% occurred in patients aged 18-24 (IR 3.5 [2.2 - 4.82]), 5.8% aged 25-34 (IR 4.1), 6.2% aged 35-44 (IR 4.2), 9.7% aged 45-54 (IR 7.4), 12.0% aged 55-64 (IR 9.0), 15.8% aged 65-74 (IR 16.6), 22.2% aged 75-84 (IR 43.3), and 24.2% aged above 85 (IR 95.3). Among total fractures, 51.4% (IR 53.6) occurred in male patients while 48.6% (IR 46.8) occur in female patients; 88.9% were White (IR 6.7) and 6.7% were Black (IR 5.2); 77.1% of all fractures resulted from a fall. The most common disposition was inpatient admission of 54.3%. Multiple trends with regard to patient-related demographics were observed in our statistical analyses. The rate of cervical fractures was greater with higher age resulting from falls. This study highlights the epidemiology of cervical spinal fractures in US patients, which can help optimize treatment and management plans targeted at high-risk groups. Future research should aim toward analyzing different interventional methods and their efficacy in minimizing the incidence of cervical fractures.