BACKGROUND: The reported incidence of concurrent traumatic brain (TBI) and spine or spinal cord injuries (SCI) is poorly defined, with widely variable literature rates from 16 to 74%.
OBJECTIVES: To define the incidence of concurrent TBI and SCI, and compare the incidence over a twenty-year time period.
METHODS: To define the longitudinal incidence and concurrent rate of TBI and SCI via a retrospective review of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database over a twenty year period.
RESULTS: Over the study period, the incidence of TBI declined from 143 patients/100k admissions to 95 patients/100k. However, there was a concurrent increase in SCI from 61 patients/100k admissions to 75 patients/100k admissions (P<0.0001). Regional variations in SCI trends were noted, with specific regions demonstrating an increasing trend. Cervical fractures had the greatest increase by nearly a three-fold rise (1988: 4562-2008: 12,418). There was an increase in the incidence of TBI among SCI admission from 3.7% (1988) to 12.5% (2008) (OR=1.067 per year; 95% CI=1.065-1.069 per year; P<0.0001). Concurrently, SCI patients had an increase in TBI (9.1% (1988)-15.9% (2008) (OR=1.038 per year (95% CI 1.036-1.040; P<0.001))).
CONCLUSION: A retrospective review of the NIS demonstrates a rising trend in the incidence of concurrent TBI and SCI. More investigative work is necessary to examine causative factors for this trend.