title: Delay in operative stabilization of spine fractures in multitrauma patients without neurologic injuries: effects on outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Optimal timing for surgical stabilization of the fractured spine is controversial. Early stabilization facilitates mobilization and theoretically reduces associated complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified consecutive patients without neurologic injury requiring stabilization surgery for a spinal fracture at an academic tertiary-care hospital over a 12-year period. Incidences of postoperative complications were prospectively evaluated. We analyzed results based on the time elapsed before the final surgical stabilization procedure. Multivariate analyses were performed to explore the effects of potential confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 83 patients (60 men, 23 women; mean age 39.4 yr) met the eligibility criteria and were enrolled. The mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 27.1 (range 12.0-57.0); 35% of patients had a cervical fracture and 65% had a thoraco-lumbar fracture. No statistically significant associations were uncovered between time to surgical stabilization and age, ISS or comorbidities. Comparing patients stabilized after 24 hours with those stabilized within 24 hours, there was an almost 8-fold greater risk of a complication related to prolonged recumbency (p = 0.007). We observed similar effects for other types of complications. Delays of more than 72 hours had a negative effect on complication rates; these effects remained significant after multivariate adjustments for age, comorbidity and ISS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates a strong relation between timing of surgical stabilization of spinal fractures in multitrauma patients without neurologic injuries and complications. Further studies with larger samples may allow for better adjustment of potentially confounding factors and identify subgroups in which this effect is most pronounced.
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Ottawa, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ont.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pakzad
authors.forename: Darren M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Roffey
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dagenais
authors.forename: Jean-Denis
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Yelle
authors.forename: Eugene K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Wai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005592:Fracture Fixation; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D020196:Trauma, Nervous System / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult