Clinical characteristics and prognosis of spinal cord injury in individuals over 75 years old.

OBJECTIVE:To analyze the incidence and characteristics of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) in geriatric population of Galicia (Spain), hospital management and functional prognosis. METHODS:Comparative retrospective study. Patients admitted with acute traumatic SCI during the time period between January 2010 and December 2016 were included. Two groups established: The elderly over and under 75 years of age, with the latter acting as a control group. RESULTS:Three hundred seventy-nine patients were studied (27.2% ≥75 years). The main etiology in the >75 years group were falls: 80.6%. There were 65.7% who presented incomplete spinal cord injuries with mean motor index (MI) of 44.9/100. Upon discharge, 90.8% were dependent. Hospital mortality was 34.9%. Those >75 years suffered from more cervical injuries (74.8 vs. 51.2%; p<0.001), longer delay in diagnosis (31.1 vs. 9.2%; p<0.001) and higher hospital mortality (34.9 vs. 3.2%; p<0.001). Fewer surgical interventions were performed, with a longer delay. Percentages for admission into ICU, mechanical ventilation and performing a tracheostomy proved to be similar. There were no significant differences found in the evolution according to the ASIA scale or the MI. CONCLUSIONS:1) The frequency of traumatic SCI in the elderly in Galicia is high; 2) Neurological evolution is similar to younger patients but the level of dependence is higher; 3) The level of care provided is similar in both groups, except for the surgical indication, and 4) Hospital mortality is high.