Thoracolumbar Evaluation in the Low-Risk Trauma Patient: A Pilot Study Towards Development of a Clinical Decision Rule to Avoid Unnecessary Imaging in the Emergency Department.

Background: Thoracolumbar (TL) injury is a common finding in the severely injured multi-trauma patient. However, the incidence and pattern of TL injury in patients with milder trauma is unclear.

Objective: The aim of this study was to collect and analyze evidence for the development of a clinical decision rule (CDR) to evaluate the TL spine in patients with non-severe blunt trauma and avoid dedicated imaging in low-risk cases.