Cervical spine fractures in the elderly: factors influencing survival in 65 cases

To evaluate whether a cervical spine fracture increases the death risk in elderly patients, and to define risk factors, we studied the survival of 65 patients (26 women) with a mean age of 77 (66-99) years. 8 of the patients were tetraparetic. In 35 patients, the upper cervical spine was fractured. 7 patients suffered from ankylosing spondylitis. Severe co-morbidity was present in 16. Survival status and the date of death were retrieved from the government official personal registry. The expected survival was calculated from data retrieved from the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. Variables having a possible relation with survival (i.e., a p-value < 0.10 when entered into a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis) were used in a Cox multiple regression survival analysis. 53 (24-105) months after injury, 25 of the 65 patients had died. The survival was significantly lower than the expected values. Severe co-morbidity (risk ratio: 5,6), neurological injury (6,4), high age (1,1), and ankylosing spondylitis (5,5) proved to be significant risk factors for death. Thus, a cervical spine fracture may lead to earlier death in a patient with a severe co-morbidity. A neurological complication constitutes a risk also for a previously healthy individual. Patients having ankylosing spondylitis (with increased death risk) run a higher than normal risk of sustaining a cervical spine fracture.