Cervical spine pathology and treatment: a global overview

Cervical spine pathology is becoming increasingly prevalent with an aging world population and is associated with significant morbidity, affecting all areas of the world. This review was undertaken to provide a global perspective on cervical spine pathology, including epidemiology, burden of disease, access to care, and plan of care in both developed and developing low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We found that epidemiology, access to care, plan of care, and health outcomes were relatively similar between nations with similar economies. However, these aspects change dramatically when comparing developing nations to LMICs, with LMICs displaying substantial barriers to care and subsequently higher rates of morbidity and mortality. There is currently a need for large-scale, global, prospective multicenter studies that analyze not only the epidemiology and treatment of cervical spine pathology, but also consider patient outcomes.