Cervical Spine Decompression and Fusion Outcomes in Trauma Patients Actively Receiving Anticoagulation Treatment for Cerebrovascular Injury: A Retrospective Comparative Study

Background Cervical spine blunt trauma patients with the presence of a cerebrovascular injury may be given initiation of heparin anticoagulation treatment prior to necessary surgical stabilization. Literature regarding the safety and efficacy of these procedures while a patient is on active anticoagulation is limited, requiring further investigation. The primary research question for this study is: Can cervical spine decompression and fusion in the context of a blunt cerebrovascular injury and anticoagulation therapy be completed safely? To accomplish this a comparison of outcomes and perioperative complications was made to a control group.

Methods A total of 63 trauma patients requiring cervical spine decompression and fusion from 2013 to 2015 were identified at our North American level 1 trauma center. Evaluation of patient injury data, bleeding events, postoperative infections, and neurologic outcomes was collected from chart review. The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grading system was used to measure change in postoperative neurologic outcomes.

Results Of 63 patients, 14 had a concomitant cerebrovascular injury that required perioperative anticoagulation treatment. In the 14 patients receiving anticoagulation, 11 had anterior and 3 had posterior stabilization. A total of 2 patients experienced a complication (pneumonia and hardware failure), but neither was related to anticoagulation. An elevated prothrombin time value was noted postoperatively in 1 patient, but with no adverse outcome. No bleeding or thrombotic events, surgical site infection, or neurologic deterioration occurred. The difference in postoperative ASIA grades between groups was not significantly different (P = .57).

Conclusions The operative cohort receiving anticoagulation therapy did not demonstrate an increase affinity for perioperative complications or a decline in ASIA scores postoperatively when compared to a control cohort.

Clinical Relevance Patients with a cerebrovascular injury receiving anticoagulation treatment can undergo safe and successful cervical spine stabilization procedures.

Level of Evidence Therapeutic level III.