Rehabilitation of Geriatric Patients with Cervical Spinal Cord Lesions

Abstract

The intention of this study was to examine the surgical care and the possibilities of rehabilitation in geriatric patients with cervical spinal cord injuries with regard to the postoperative and outpatient course. Thirty-nine patients (aged at least 66 years) with cervical spinal cord injuries were studied over a 6.5-year period (January 1, 1993, to June 30, 1999). Mean age was 75 years. Thirteen patients had a complete sensomotoric lesion of the spinal cord. Seven of them died in hospital during the postoperative period. Only 2 patients are still alive. Three out of the 26 patients with incomplete lesions of the cervical spinal cord were discharged and sent to nursing homes, 22 patients could be discharged into home care. One patient died in hospital. The period of primary rehabilitation was 204 days in patients with complete and 105 days in those with incomplete lesions compared to 85 days in quadriplegic patients overall. In conclusion, a high mortality rate in geriatric patients with complete paraplegia was seen, with only one third of these patients still alive after 1 year. In contrast, 68% of the patients with incomplete lesions survived for more than 1 year, with the majority living in their own houses.