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Brain and Spine Surgery in the Elderly pp 223–245Cite as

Spinal Injuries of the Elderly

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Abstract

With this chapter, we aim to provide an up-to-date review of the relevant considerations for spinal neurosurgeons involved with the management of an elderly individual following traumatic injury to the spine. The first two sections focus on the features of traumatic injury and management considerations that differ between the elderly population and those in younger cohorts. The three subsequent sections deal with specific injuries common to the elderly, namely, odontoid fractures, traumatic central cord syndrome (TCCS), and vertebral compression fractures (VCRs). The final section concludes with a synopsis of the available evidence pertaining to the outcomes of elderly individuals. Common decision-making challenges will be highlighted, and areas of ongoing controversy are discussed. This should serve to raise awareness of certain pitfalls and facilitate appraisal of the continuing influx of new clinical data in this increasingly relevant and ever-changing area of spinal neurosurgery.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Christopher D. Witiw MD & Michael G. Fehlings MD, PhD, FRCSC, FACS

  2. Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Laureen D. Hachem

  3. Head Spinal Program, McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, 399 Bathurst Street, 4WW-449, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5T 2S8

    Michael G. Fehlings MD, PhD, FRCSC, FACS

  4. Department of Surgery, Halbert Chair in Neural Repair and Regeneration, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Michael G. Fehlings MD, PhD, FRCSC, FACS

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  1. Christopher D. Witiw MD
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  2. Laureen D. Hachem
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  3. Michael G. Fehlings MD, PhD, FRCSC, FACS
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Correspondence to Michael G. Fehlings MD, PhD, FRCSC, FACS .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Lyon, Lyon, France

    Moncef Berhouma

  2. Hôpital des Charpennes, Hospices civils de Lyon, Villeurbanne, France

    Pierre Krolak-Salmon

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Witiw, C.D., Hachem, L.D., Fehlings, M.G. (2017). Spinal Injuries of the Elderly. In: Berhouma, M., Krolak-Salmon, P. (eds) Brain and Spine Surgery in the Elderly. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40232-1_14

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