Axis Fractures in Elderly Epidemiology and Treatment related outcome

Robinson, A.-L. 2018. Axis Fractures in Elderly. Epidemiology and Treatment related outcome. Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Medicine 1399. 84 pp. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. ISBN 978-91-513-0163-1. Background: Axis fractures are a common injury in the elderly population. Treatment is often complicated due to osteoporosis and patient comorbidity. Knowledge of the incidence of these fractures, as well as their treatment, outcome and mortality rate, will improve knowledge and decision-making processes for this fragile group of patients. Objectives: This thesis aims (1) to review the literature on the non-surgical and surgical treatment of odontoid fractures type 2 in the elderly population, (2) to provide an updated overview of axis fracture subtypes, their incidence and their treatment in a cohort in two university cities, (3) to map the incidence of fractures and the treatment of these patients in Sweden, (4) to investigate the effect on mortality of both the surgical and non-surgical treatment of axis fractures and (5) to present the protocol for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the treatment of odontoid fractures type 2 in the elderly population. Methods: A systematic review was performed using the MeSH keywords “odontoid AND fracture AND elderly”. The data for the cohort study were extracted from the regional hospital information system. The radiographs were reviewed retrospectively. Data were extracted from the Swedish National Patient Registry (NPR) and the mortality registry for the national registry studies. Finally, the RCT protocol was carried out according to the SPIRIT and CONSORT statements for clinical trial reporting. Results and conclusions: So far, there has been a scarcity of existing evidence on treatment of odontoid fractures type 2 in the elderly population. In this thesis, we found in two university cities an increased incidence, and a trend towards more surgical treatment of type 2 and 3 odontoid fractures 2002-2014. Between 1997 and 2014 in Sweden, there was an increasing incidence of C2 fractures, but the treatment trend went towards more non-surgical treatment. Surgically treated patients had a greater survival rate than non-surgically treated patients. Among those over 88 years of age, surgical treatment lost its effect on survival. In the RCT we will study the function of patients with odontoid fractures type 2 and by comparing non-surgical treatment with posterior C1-C2 fusion, the cost-effectiveness of the treatment options.