AB087. SOH24AB_180. Retrospective case series of vertebral artery injuries associated with cervical spine trauma
Orthopaedic Session I

AB087. SOH24AB_180. Retrospective case series of vertebral artery injuries associated with cervical spine trauma

Anna Lawless1, Leah Morris2, Harry Marland3, Kielan Wilson1, Jake McDonnell3, Gráinne Cunniffe3, Seamus Morris3, Stacey Darwish3, Joseph Simon Butler3

1School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland; 2School of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland; 3National Spinal Injuries Unit, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

Background: Vertebral artery injuries (VAIs) can occur due to cervical trauma. VAI can prove a serious complication and potentially compromise vascular supply to the posterior aspect of the brain. Currently, there is a paucity of evidence with regards to incidence, management and outcomes for these patients. The purpose of this study is to investigate the incidence of VAI associated with cervical trauma at our institution, their respective management and outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted at our institution, a national tertiary referral centre, from 2012–2021 to identify patients with VAI secondary to cervical spine trauma. Demographic, clinical and radiological data was collected to identify common traits in injury characteristics and management.

Results: A total of 1,013 spine patients presented to our institution across the 10-year period. Trauma patients accounted for 739/1,013 (73.0%). Imaging for suspected VAI secondary to trauma was done in 42/739 (5.7%). There were 14/739 (1.9%) confirmed VAI. All patients had CT-angiography for diagnosis. Four patients (28.6%) had additional MR-angiography imaging. Right-side was the most common side of VAI injury (7/14; 50%), followed by left (5/14; 35.7%) and bilateral (2/14; 14.3%) injuries. Anti-coagulation treatment was prescribed for 8/14 (57.1%) patients. Acute mortality within 3-months was noted to be 2/14 (14.3%) patients, and occurred at 49 and 57 days respectively.

Conclusions: VAI associated with cervical spine injury are rare in occurrence. However, they can be associated with high morbidity and mortality. As such, a multi-disciplinary approach to care is integral to ensuring good outcomes in these patients.

Keywords: Brain; cervical; spine; trauma; vertebral artery injury (VAI)

Acknowledgments

Funding: None.

Footnote

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical Statement: The authors are accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Open Access Statement: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits the non-commercial replication and distribution of the article with the strict proviso that no changes or edits are made and the original work is properly cited (including links to both the formal publication through the relevant DOI and the license). See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

doi: 10.21037/map-24-ab087
Cite this abstract as: Lawless A, Morris L, Marland H, Wilson K, McDonnell J, Cunniffe G, Morris S, Darwish S, Butler JS. AB087. SOH24AB_180. Retrospective case series of vertebral artery injuries associated with cervical spine trauma. Mesentery Peritoneum 2024;8:AB087.

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