Injury - 2026-09-09 - Journal Article
Traumatic spinal injuries in a rural tourist area: Epidemiology, seasonal trends and implications for healthcare resource allocation.
Peppucci E, Ferlito D, Meletti L, Montalbetti A, Piras G, Bucpapaj R, Giussani CG, Zoia C
Topics
Key Takeaway
Sports-related TSI nearly quadrupled during warm versus cold months (22 vs. 5 cases, p=0.001), driving a significant seasonal surge in overall TSI volume at a rural Lake Como trauma center.
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Summary
This study characterized TSI epidemiology at a single rural ED near Lake Como over 6 years, analyzing demographics, injury mechanism, spinal level, and seasonal distribution. Falls were the dominant mechanism (56.8%), 45.5% required surgery (78.3% arthrodesis, 21.7% vertebroplasty), and mean age was 60 years. Warm-season TSI volume significantly exceeded cold-season volume (78 vs. 54, p=0.04), attributable almost entirely to sports injuries (22 vs. 5, p=0.001).
Key Limitation
No functional outcomes, neurological status, or disposition data are reported, making it impossible to assess injury severity or the adequacy of current resource allocation against patient need.
Original Abstract
PURPOSE
Several epidemiological studies have evaluated trends and epidemiology of Traumatic Spinal Injury (TSI) but often they don't take into account the geographical variability of nations. Having identified a lack of literature on the epidemiology of rural and touristic areas we conducted this retrospective study in our hospital near Como Lake to understand how best to manage TSI patients.
METHODS
This retrospective epidemiological study included all patients with TSI admitted to Emergency Department (ED) of Gravedona ed Uniti Hospital between April 2018 and March 2024. We focused on vertebral fractures. Demographics, trauma mechanisms, regions of the spine involved, patient comorbidities, polytrauma or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), any surgical treatment were analysed. We then focused on differences between warm and cold seasons.
RESULTS
140 patients were included, but only 132 were considered due to missing data. Average age was 60.0 years. TSI involved cervical spine in 23.5% of the cases, thoracic in 27.3%, lumbosacral in 37.1%, and multiple sites in 12.1%. 54.5% of the patients were treated with conservative therapies while 45.5% underwent surgery (78.3% spinal arthrodesis and 21.7% vertebroplasty). Mechanisms of trauma were as follows: accidental falls 56.8%, vehicular accidents 21.2%, sports 20.4% and violence 1.5%. There was a statistically significant increase in TSIs during warm months compared to cold ones (78 vs 54, p-value 0.04) due to a marked increase in sports injuries (22 vs 5, p-value 0.001).
CONCLUSION
Rural areas with high levels of summer tourism and sporting activity could benefit from deployment of resources and teams at specific times.