Cervical spine injuries in patients 65 years old and older: Epidemiologic analysis regarding the effects of age and injury mechanism on distribution, type, and stability of injuries

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Study describes the types and distribution of cervical spine injuries in elderly patients over a 5-year period. For each patient, initial admission imaging studies were reviewed and injuries were classified. Mechanism of injury (falling from a standing or seated height versus higher energy mechanism) and initial clinical and neurological status were recorded. Analysis compared injury data in patients with different trauma mechanisms and injury data in different age groups: young elderly (65 to 75 years old) versus old elderly (over 75). Results showed that 95 of the 149 patients (64 percent) had upper cervical spine injuries. Fifty-nine patients (40 percent) had multi-level injuries. The main causes for cervical spine injuries were motor vehicle crashes for the young elderly and falls from standing or seated height among the old elderly. Independent of age, patients older than 75 years and patients who fell from standing height were more likely to have injuries of the upper cervical spine.

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