Correlation between neurologic status and spinal injury at the Cervicothoracic Junction

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Neurosurgery
• Trauma Surgery

Background:

• Limited research exists on cervicothoracic junction spinal injuries.
• A knowledge gap persists regarding injury morphology, neurological correlation, and surgical outcomes.
• This study addresses the correlation between neurological deficit and injury severity in this spinal region.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if neurological deficit correlates with injury severity at the cervicothoracic junction.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of surgical intervention for cervicothoracic junction injuries.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 30 patients with cervicothoracic junction injuries (Dec 2015-Dec 2020).
• Inclusion criteria: minimum 2-year follow-up.
• Data collected: demographics, injury characteristics, neurological scores, imaging, surgical details, and outcomes.

Main Results:

• 90% of injuries resulted from falls; 76.7% were AO type C.
• C6-C7 (73.4%) and C7-T1 (13.3%) levels were most affected.
• Only 16.7% presented with intact neurology; plain X-rays missed injuries in 63.3% of patients.
• Posterior stabilization was performed in 56.7%; 9 patients showed neurological improvement.

Conclusions:

• Cervicothoracic junction injuries are rare, highly unstable, and challenging to diagnose with plain X-rays.
• These injuries frequently cause significant neurological deficits.
• Surgical stabilization is advised for favorable neurological and functional recovery.