Bicycle-related cervical spine injuries

• Published in: North American Spine Society journal (NASSJ) Vol. 10; p. 100119
• Main Authors: Eng, Svend Filip, Næss, Ingar, Linnerud, Hege, Rønning, Pål, Brommeland, Tor, Evjensvold, Magnus, Sundstrøm, Terje, Galteland, Pål, Døving, Mats, Aarhus, Mads, Helseth, Eirik, Ramm-Pettersen, Jon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2022; Elsevier
• Subjects: Bicycling; Clinical Studies; Occipital condyle fracture; Public health; Spine; Surgery; Trauma; OFx; Spine; OUH-U; Trauma; Multiple trauma was defined as a simultaneous TBI (mild; Occipital condyle fracture; Fx; OC-Fx; Bicycling; Surgery; GCS; CSI; cSCI; TBI; ASA-PS; Public health; OC-Fx, Occipital condyle fracture; CSI, Cervical spine injury; OFx, Odontoid fracture; OUH-U, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål; TBI, Traumatic brain injury; GCS, Glasgow coma scale; Multiple trauma was defined as a simultaneous TBI (mild, moderate, or severe according to HISS) and/or imaging-proven (X-ray, CT, or ultrasound) injury in one or more of the following regions: face, thoracolumbar spine, chest, abdomen, pelvis or extremities. Skin injuries were not registered; Fx, Fracture; cSCI, Cervical spinal cord injury; ASA-PS, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status
• ISSN: 2666-5484; 2666-5484
• DOI: 10.1016/j.xnsj.2022.100119

•The incidence of bicycle-related cervical spine injuries (CSI) was 1.7/100,000/year.•Bicycling was the second most common cause of CSI, only preceded by falls.•Occipital condyle fracture was common in bicyclists.•Bicyclists with CSI were associated with more multiple trauma and concomitant head injury than non-bicyclists. Bicyclists are vulnerable road users. The aim of this paper was to describe all bicycle-related traumatic cervical spine injuries (CSIs) in the South-East region of Norway (2015–2019), and to investigate whether certain types of CSIs are typical for bicyclists. Retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected registry data of all CSIs in the South-East region of Norway (3.0 million inhabitants), from 2015 to 2019. Patient characteristics, injury types, and treatment were summarized with descriptive statistics. Bayesian multivariable logistic regression was used to identify potential factors associated with occipital condyle fractures (OC-Fx) or odontoid fractures (OFx). During the five-year study period, 2,162 patients with CSIs were registered, and 261 (12%) were bicycle-related. The incidence of bicycle-related CSIs was 1.7/100,000 person-years. The median age of the patients with bicycle-related CSIs was 55 (IQR: 22) years, 83% were male, 71% used a helmet, 16% were influenced by ethanol, 12% had a concomitant cervical spinal cord injury (SCI), and 64% sustained multiple traumas. The three most common bicycle-related CSIs were C6/C7 fracture (Fx) (28%), occipital condyle Fx (OC-Fx) (23%) and C5/C6 Fx (19%). Patients with bicycle-related CSIs compared to patients with non-bicycle related CSIs were younger, more often male, had fewer comorbidities, more likely multiple traumas, more often had OC-Fx, and less often sustained an odontoid fracture (OFx). Multivariable logistic regression of potential risk factors for OC-Fx demonstrated a significantly increased risk of OC-Fx for bicyclists compared to non-bicyclists (OR=2.8).The primary treatment for bicycle-related CSIs was external immobilization in 187/261 (71.6%) cases, open surgical fixation in 44/261 (16.8%), and no treatment in 30/261 (11.5%). Bicycle crashes are a frequent cause of CSIs in the Norwegian population and should be of concern to the public society. The three most common bicycle-related CSIs were C6/C7 fracture, occipital condyle fracture and C5/C6 fracture.