title: [Clinical features and strategies for the treatment of cervical spinal injury in aged patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate clinical features and treatments of cervical spinal injury in aged patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  From July 2006 to October 2011, 27 patients with cervical spinal cord injury were divided into experiment group, including 20 males and 7 females with an average age of 69 years old (ranged 65 to 78 years old). The other 22 patients with the same degree of cervical spianl cord injury and the same period hospitalization were chosen to regard as control group, including 16 males and 6 females with an average age of 47 years old (ranged 38 to 65 years old). All of them had clear history of trauma, and were admitted to hospital within one week. Clinical data and result of follow up were evaluated between two group. The function of the spinal cord was measured by Frankel classification at admission and final follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were followed up for 1 year except 6 died in aged group, among which 3 paients with complications were died during hospitalization and others were out of hospital. Twenty-three cases had accompanied diseases and 24 cases occurred complications in aged group. Contrast to control group, this difference was statistically significant. At the final follow-up, there were 2 cases at Frankel grade E in aged group and 6 cases in control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In comparison with control group, there are more accompany diseases and higher complications and mortality rates in aged group, while poor improvement of spinal cord function. This patients were mainly treated with operation, but operation method should simplify and mainly focus on effective decompression and reconstuction stability and avoid expansion operation. It's nesscerry to pay more attention to prevent and treatment of respiratory complication.
authors.affiliation: The Second Department of Orthopaedics, the First Hospital of Nanping City Afflicated to Fujian Medical University, Nanping 353001, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Bi-Hua
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Jian-Guang
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jun-Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D013124:Spinal Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*