Adult Sports-related Traumatic Spinal Injuries: Do Different Activities Predispose to Certain Injuries?

J Neurosurg Spine, 2023 · DOI: 10.3171/2021.1.SPINE201860 · Published: February 24, 2023

Simple Explanation

This study investigates sports-related traumatic spinal injuries (TSIs) in adults using data from the National Trauma Data Bank. The goal was to identify common injury mechanisms, the need for surgery, and the clinical burden of TSIs compared to non-TSI sports injuries. The study found that cycling injuries were the most frequent cause of TSIs, followed by skiing/snowboarding. Watersports and contact sports had the highest prevalence of spinal cord injuries. Patients with TSIs had longer hospital stays and were more likely to require rehabilitation services compared to those with non-TSI sports injuries. The research suggests that making cycling safer through policies and education could reduce TSIs. Additionally, understanding the injury mechanisms in different sports can help develop better protective gear and prevention strategies.

Study Duration

2011-2014

Participants

12,031 cases of TSI

Evidence Level

Retrospective cohort analysis

Key Findings

1
Cycling injuries were the most common cause of sports-related TSIs, accounting for 80.9% of cases.
2
Watersports/swimming (48.9%) and contact sports (41.3%) had the highest prevalence of traumatic spinal cord injury among sports-related TSIs.
3
Patients with sports-related TSIs were significantly more likely to require ICU care (aOR 2.06; 95% CI 1.95-2.18) and experience adverse discharge (aOR 2.56; 95% CI 2.44-2.68).

Research Summary

This study analyzed data from the National Trauma Data Bank to investigate sports-related traumatic spinal injuries (TSIs) in adults from 2011 to 2014. The research aimed to determine the common mechanisms of injury, the need for surgical intervention, and the clinical burden associated with TSIs compared to non-TSI sports injuries. The results indicated that cycling injuries were the most frequent cause of TSIs, while watersports and contact sports had a higher prevalence of spinal cord injuries. Patients with TSIs experienced longer hospital stays and were more likely to require rehabilitation services. The study concludes that policies and education to improve cyclist safety could reduce TSIs. Further research into injury mechanisms can inform the development of protective gear and prevention strategies to minimize the occurrence and severity of sports-related spinal injuries.

Practical Implications

Improve Cyclist Safety

Implement policies and educational programs to enhance cyclist safety, such as protected bike lanes and helmet laws, to reduce cycling-related TSIs.

Develop Targeted Prevention Strategies

Create sport-specific prevention strategies based on the mechanisms of injury, focusing on high-risk activities like watersports and contact sports to minimize spinal cord injuries.

Allocate Funding for Research

Increase funding for research on lower-contact sports to develop evidence-based interventions that prevent sports-related trauma and reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with TSIs.

Study Limitations

1
Retrospective analysis of an aggregated dataset introduces limitations and potential for bias.
2
Exclusion of patients who died before hospitalization limits the analysis of immediately fatal TSIs.
3
The retrospective examination of discharge disposition does not facilitate analysis of long-term prognosis and survival.

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