Morbidity and mortality in cervical spine injuries in the elderly

Background The aim of our study was to identify the demographics and complications in elderly cervical spine injuries and predictive factors for surgery, complications and mortality. We hypothesized younger healthier patients were more likely to undergo surgical intervention. Methods A retrospective review of 225 consecutive patients aged 65 years and over with cervical spine injuries was carried out over a 3‐year period. Results There were 113 males and 112 females with an average of 79.7 years (range 65–98). The most common fracture was C2 peg type (21.8%). Five patients had complete spinal cord injury (2.2%), 25 had incomplete spinal cord injury (11.1%) and 84% were neurologically intact. Fifty‐four patients were managed operatively (24%), while 171 patients were managed non‐operatively (76%). The operative group had higher rates of pneumonia (odds ratio (OR) 5.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.6–10.7, P