title: Cervical stenosis in spinal cord injury and disorders.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to characterize etiologies of spinal cord injury and disorders (SCI/D) in persons with and without cervical stenosis/spondylosis (CSS) and to describe clinical characteristics and underlying comorbidities in these populations.
  
  
  
  We reviewed administrative data for 1954 Veterans who had onset of traumatic or non-traumatic tetraplegia during FY 1999-2007. This included 1037 with a diagnosis of CSS at or in the two years prior to SCI onset of SCI/D and 917 without a diagnosis of CSS.
  
  
  
  Demographics, etiologies of SCI/D and comorbidities by CSS status.
  
  
  
  Veterans with SCI/D and CSS were older, more likely to have incomplete injuries and more likely to be Black than those with SCI/D and no CSS. Of patients with traumatic etiologies for SCI, 35.1% had a diagnosis of CSS at the time of or in the 2 years prior to SCI onset. Of those with tetraplegia due to falls, 40.0% had CSS, whereas for other known traumatic etiologies the percentages with CSS were lower: vehicular (25.0%); sports (16.1%); and acts of violence (10.2%). Total comorbidity scores measured by the Charlson co morbidity index and CMS Hierarchical Condition Category (CMS-HCC) were higher in those with CSS and SCI/D compared to those with SCI/D without CSS (P < 0.0001 respectively).
  
  
  
  CSS is commonly present in patients with new traumatic tetraplegia. Falls are a particularly important potentially modifiable risk for SCI in patients with CSS.
authors.affiliation: a Spinal Cord Injury Service , Department of Veterans Affairs- Puget Sound Health Care System , Seattle , WA , USA.|b Department of Rehabilitation Medicine , University of Washington , Seattle , WA , USA.
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.affiliation: c Director, Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare, Hines VA Hospital , Chicago , IL , USA.|d Stritch School of Medicine , Loyola University , Chicago , IL , USA.
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.affiliation: e Edward J. Hines, Jr. Veterans Affairs Hospital , Hines , IL , USA.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.affiliation: a Spinal Cord Injury Service , Department of Veterans Affairs- Puget Sound Health Care System , Seattle , WA , USA.
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Svircev
authors.affiliation: f Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center , Augusta , GA , USA.|g Medical College of Georgia, Department of Medicine , Augusta University , Augusta , GA , USA.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carbone
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055009:Spondylosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014728:Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Cervical stenosis; Comorbidities; Falls; Registry; Spinal cord injury