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National registry-based study shows elderly patients are more susceptible to atlas fractures
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Although data in a recently published national registry-based cohort study show atlas fractures occur predominantly in elderly patients, the injury is not associated with greater mortality.
Researchers identified 14,700 cervical fracture cases in the Swedish National Patient Registry (NPR) between 1997 and 2011. Researchers extracted data from the NPR and the Swedish Cause of Death Registry and included age, diagnosis, comorbidity, gender, treatment codes and date of death for all patients.
Researchers found 1,553 atlas fractures, which accounted for 10.6% of all cervical fractures in the patient cohort. Of these, 16 cases occurred in patients younger than 15 years and were excluded, leaving 1,537 cases of atlas fractures in 869 men and 668 women. Of all cases, an additional fracture of the axis also was evident in 19% and 7% of cases had another subaxial cervical fracture.
Researchers noted atlas fracture risk increased in the elderly population in the study.
“In the investigated population, the incidence of admissions for atlas fractures more than doubled from 7 per million inhabitants in 1997 to 17 per million inhabitants in 2011, and linear regression analysis showed a clear linear trend. The greatest increase occurred in the elderly (greater than 50 years) w[h]ere the incidence almost tripled. The incidence in the younger age groups (0 [years] to 49 years) remained unchanged,” researchers wrote in the study.
Researchers conducted a Cox regression analysis and found an atlas fracture had no significant effect on survival. – by Robert Linnehan.
Disclosures: Matthiessen reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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