Characteristics of work-related spine injury in the USA: a National Trauma Data Bank analysis

Purpose Workplace injury is a commonplace occurrence in the USA. Spine injuries are especially devastating as they can cause chronic pain and limit mobility which prevents patients from returning to work. Gaining a better understanding of the patients, mechanisms, and treatments associated with these injuries can aid in improving outcomes. The purpose of this study is to characterize the nature of work-related spine injuries. Methods The National Trauma Data Bank was queried from 2017 to 2019 for all diagnoses involving the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spine. Patient demographics, comorbidities, injury characteristics, spinal diagnoses, and procedures were identified for each occupation. Occupational industries, patient demographics, mechanisms of injury, diagnoses, and spinal procedures were characterized. Results A total of 100,842 work-related injuries were identified between 2017 and 2019. Of those, 19,002 (19%) were spine injuries, and subsequently, 3963 (21%) required spinal surgery. Eight thousand twenty-nine (42%) cases were seen among construction workers, which had the highest proportion of Hispanic patients (36%). Smoking was prevalent in labor-intensive occupations with high rates of spine injury such as building and grounds maintenance. The most common mechanism of injury was a fall from a roof. The most common injury diagnoses were L1, L2, and L3 fractures, and the most common procedures were T12-L1 fusion, multilevel thoracic fusion, and multilevel lumbar fusion. Conclusion Spine injuries represent a significant portion of work-related injuries in the USA and a considerable portion require neurosurgical intervention. Initial efforts should focus on the prevention and management of lumbar spine injuries in the construction industry.