Early Versus Delayed Surgery for Elderly Traumatic Cervical Spinal Injury: A Nationwide Multicenter Study in Japan.

Abstract

Retrospective multicenter study. The effectiveness of early surgery for cervical spinal injury (CSI) has been demonstrated. However, whether early surgery improves outcomes in the elderly remains unclear. This study investigated whether early surgery for CSI in elderly affects complication rates and neurological outcomes. This retrospective multicenter study included 462 patients. We included patients with traumatic acute cervical spinal cord injury aged ≥65years who were treated surgically, whereas patients with American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale E, those with unknown operative procedures, and those waiting for surgery for >1month were excluded. The minimum follow-up period was 6months. Sixty-five patients (early group, 14.1%) underwent surgical treatment within 24hours, whereas the remaining 397 patients (85.9%) underwent surgery on a standby basis (delayed group). The propensity score-matched cohorts of 63 cases were compared. Patients in the early group were significantly younger, had significantly more subaxial dislocations (and fractures), tetraplegia, significantly lower ASIA motor scores, and ambulatory abilities 6months after injury. However, no significant differences in the rate of complications, ambulatory abilities, or ASIA Impairment Scale scores 6months after injury were observed between the matched cohorts. At 6months after injury, 61% of the patients in the early group (25% unsupported and 36% supported) and 53% of the patients in the delayed group (34% unsupported and 19% supported) were ambulatory. Early surgery is possible for CSI in elderly patients as the matched cohort reveals no significant difference in complication rates and neurological or ambulatory recovery between the early and delayed surgery groups.