Spinal cord injury in elderly patients admitted to a tertiary hospital.

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) has a negative impact on quality of life and healthcare costs. In recent years with the age pyramid inversion, there has been a high prevalence of SCI in the elderly. These patients must be studied in order to invest in the prevention and treatment of SCI in these patients.

Objective: To identify the characteristics and clinical aspects of spinal cord injury (SCI) in the elderly.

Methods: Retrospective study of elderly patients (≥ 60 years of age) with a clinical diagnosis of SCI. Clinical and socio-demographic variables were collected from medical records.

Results: Sixty-two elderly patients were studied (56% men). The patients were analyzed according to gender. Women presented compression fractures associated with thoracolumbar transition, while men presented with listhesis associated with cervical lesions and increased complications. It was found that the need for surgical intervention was higher in men. Among many characteristics that differed between the elderly and younger people (< 60 years; n = 259), in the morphological diagnosis, we observed that compression fractures and dislocation fractures were more highly associated with ages ≥ 60 and < 60, respectively. After SCI, the elderly have a higher risk for late hemodynamic instability.

Conclusion: Elderly individuals with SCI have distinct characteristics and clinical factors related to gender and age.