Time to Surgery in Spinal Trauma: A Meta-Analysis of the World's Literature Comparing High-Income Countries to Low-Middle Income Countries.

Objective: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to: 1) compare time from traumatic spinal injury (TSI) to operating room (OR) in high-income countries (HICs) versus low-middle-income countries (LMICs), and 2) evaluate hospital length of stay (LOS) in HICs versus LMICs.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines involving articles of all languages.

Inclusion Criteria: published between 1991 and 2021, spine trauma population, single country/region, and recorded time from injury to OR.