Abstract:

The incidence and proportion of traumatic spinal cord injury in the elderly are increasing year by year, and it has become the main affected population of spinal cord injury in developed countries. Fall is the main cause of injury. The increase of spinal stenosis, the biomechanical changes of the spine and the hyperextension injuries may be the mechanism of spinal cord injury caused by minor trauma in this population. Traumatic spinal cord injury in the elderly usually requires early surgical treatment. When there are complicated comorbidities, unstable vital signs or mild spinal cord injury without major fracture or dislocation, non-surgical treatment and active rehabilitation can be considered. However, the specific indications and timing of surgery are still controversial. Compared with young people, most elderly patients present with incomplete cervical spinal cord injury and are expected to restore better limb function, following poor recovery of self-care ability. It is important to monitor the functional change throughout rehabilitation and adjust the hours and intensity of training accordingly.

Key words: spinal cord injury, geriatric trauma, epidemiology, surgery, rehabilitation, review