Civilian Gun Shot Wounds Associated With Spinal Injuries.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate functional outcomes and characteristics associated with gunshot wound (GSW) to the spine.

METHODS

Patients with GSW to the spine managed at a Level 1 Trauma Center from January 2003 to December 2017 were enrolled. Patient demographics, diagnoses, level of injury, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) score, ambulatory status at follow-up, bowel and bladder function, clinical improvement, and mortality were evaluated. Clinical improvement was defined as a progression in ambulatory status category at latest follow up.

RESULTS

51 patients with GSW of the spine were identified. 48 (94.1%) were male and 3 (5.9%) were female, with a mean age of 27 years-old (range 15-56). 38 (74.5%) were Caucasian, 7 (13.7%) were African American, 1 (2.0%) Asian-American, and 5 (9.8%) were Other/Unknown. 46 (90.2%) patients had GSW related spinal fractures and 44 (86.3%) had neurological deficits. Among patients with neurologic deficits, 5 (9.8%) had Cauda Equina Syndrome, 1 (2%) had Brown-Sequard Syndrome, and 38 (74.5%) spinal cord injuries: ASIA A 26 (68.4%); ASIA B 3 (7.9%); ASIA C 7 (18.4%); ASIA D 2 (5.3%). At mean follow-up time of 4.2 years (SD 3.9), 27 (52.9%) patients were wheelchair bound, 11 (21.6%) were ambulating with assistance, and 13 (25.5%) had normal ambulation. ASIA grade (A or B) was significantly, < 0.00001, associated with being wheelchair bound and having neurogenic bowel or bladder at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Most spinal GSW patients (70.6%) did not have any clinical improvement in ambulatory status and most injuries were ASIA A.