Predicting Length of Stay After Thoracolumbar Trauma: A Single-Center, Retrospective Analysis

Area of Science:

• Spine surgery
• Trauma care
• Health outcomes research

Background:

• Length of stay (LOS) is a key indicator of healthcare quality and efficiency.
• Predictive algorithms for LOS in surgically managed traumatic spinal fractures are lacking.
• Accurate LOS prediction is essential for resource allocation and patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative factors associated with prolonged LOS in thoracolumbar trauma patients.
• To develop predictive models for estimating LOS in this patient population.
• To enhance risk stratification and perioperative counseling for patients with traumatic spinal injuries.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case series of 196 patients undergoing surgical correction for thoracolumbar spine trauma.
• Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify factors associated with LOS.
• Predictive models were developed using identified significant variables.

Main Results:

• Multiple factors including Charlson Comorbidity Index, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), injury severity score, surgical duration, and postoperative complications were significantly associated with LOS.
• A model using preoperative variables predicted LOS with a correlation of 0.63.
• A comprehensive model incorporating 8 variables (including GCS, ASA score, neurological status, polytrauma, blood transfusion, and complications) predicted LOS with a strong correlation of 0.80.

Conclusions:

• Preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative factors significantly influence LOS in patients with traumatic thoracolumbar spine injuries.
• Developed models demonstrate good predictive capacity for LOS.
• Validated models can improve risk stratification and patient counseling regarding expected hospital stay.