Cervical stenosis in spinal cord injury and disorders

The study investigates the relationship between cervical stenosis/spondylosis (CSS) and spinal cord injury/disorders (SCI/D) in veterans. It aims to identify if CSS is more prevalent in individuals with SCI/D and to describe the clinical characteristics and comorbidities associated with these conditions. The researchers analyzed administrative data from Veterans who experienced traumatic or non-traumatic tetraplegia between 1999 and 2007. They compared a group diagnosed with CSS to a group without CSS to assess differences in demographics, SCI/D etiologies, and comorbidities. The findings suggest that CSS is common in patients with new traumatic tetraplegia, especially those whose injuries resulted from falls. Additionally, individuals with both SCI/D and CSS tend to have higher comorbidity scores, indicating a greater burden of other health conditions.

• 1
  Veterans with SCI/D and CSS were older, more likely to be Black, and more likely to have incomplete injuries than those with SCI/D and no CSS.
• 2
  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.
• 3
  Falls were the most common cause of SCI/D in the study cohort, with 40.0% of those with tetraplegia due to falls having CSS.