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Study Design. Retrospective cohort study. Objective. Assess trends in sports-related cervical spine trauma using a pediatric inpatient database. Summary of Background Data. Injuries sustained from sports participation may include cervical spine trauma such as fractures and spinal cord injury (SCI). Large database studies analyzing sports-related cervical trauma in the pediatric population are currently lacking. Methods. The Kid Inpatient Database was queried for patients with external causes of injury secondary to sports-related activities from 2003 to 2012. Patients were further grouped for cervical spine injury (CSI) type, including C1–4 and C5–7 fracture with/without spinal cord injury (SCI), dislocation, and SCI without radiographic abnormality (SCIWORA). Patients were grouped by age into children (4–9), pre-adolescents (Pre, 10–13), and adolescents (14–17). Kruskall-Wallis tests with post-hoc Mann-Whitney U's identified differences in CSI type across age groups and sport type. Logistic regression found predictors of TBI and specific cervical injuries. Results. A total of 38,539 patients were identified (12.76 years, 24.5% F). Adolescents had the highest rate of sports injuries per year (P < 0.001). Adolescents had the highest rate of any type of CSI, including C1–4 and C5–7 fracture with and without SCI, dislocation, and SCIWORA (all P < 0.001). Adolescence increased odds for C1-4 fracture w/o SCI 3.18×, C1-4 fx w/ SCI by 7.57×, C5-7 fx w/o SCI 4.11×, C5-7 w/SCI 3.63×, cervical dislocation 1.7×, and cervical SCIWORA 2.75×, all P < 0.05. Football injuries rose from 5.83% in 2009 to 9.14% in 2012 (P < 0.001), and were associated with more SCIWORA (1.6% vs. 1.0%, P = 0.012), and football injuries increased odds of SCI by 1.56×. Concurrent TBI was highest in adolescents at 58.4% (pre: 26.6%, child: 4.9%, P < 0.001), and SCIWORA was a significant predictor for concurrent TBI across all sports (odds ratio: 2.35 [1.77–3.11], P < 0.001). Conclusion. Adolescent athletes had the highest rates of upper/lower cervical fracture, dislocation, and SCIWORA. Adolescence and SCIWORA were significant predictors of concurrent TBI across sports. The increased prevalence of CSI with age sheds light on the growing concern for youth sports played at a competitive level, and supports recently updated regulations aimed at decreasing youth athletic injuries. Level of Evidence: 3

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Study Design. Retrospective cohort study.Objective. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of the modified frailty index (mFI-5) in a population of patients undergoing spine surgery. Summary of Background Data. The original modified frailty index (mFI-11) published as an American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program 11-factor index was modified to mFI-5 after variables were removed from recent renditions. Methods. Surgical spine patients were isolated using current procedural terminology codes. mFI-11 (11) and mFI-5 (5) were calculated from 2005 to 2012. mFI was determined by dividing the factors present by available factors. To assess correlation, Spearman rho was used. Predictive values of indices were generated by binary logistic regression. Patients were stratified into groups by mFI-5: not frail (NF, <0.3), mildly frail (MF, 0.3-0.5), severely frail (SF, >0.5). Means comparison tests analyzed frailty and clinical outcomes.Results. After calculating the mFI-5 and the mFI-11, Spearman rho between the two indices was 0.926(P < 0.001). Each index established significant (all P < 0.001) predictive values for unplanned readmission (11 ¼ odds ratio [

Study Design. Retrospective review of a prospective database. Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate postop clinical recovery among adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients between frailty states undergoing primary procedures Summary of Background Data. Frailty severity may be an important determinant for impaired recovery after corrective surgery. Methods. It included ASD patients with health-related quality of life (HRQLs) at baseline (BL), 1 year (1Y), and 3 years (3Y). Patients stratified by frailty by ASD-frailty index scale 0-1(no frailty: <0.3 [NF], mild: 0.3–0.5 [MF], severe: >0.5 [SF]). Demographics, alignment, and SRS-Schwab modifiers were assessed with χ 2/paired t tests to compare HRQLs: Scoliosis Research Society 22-question Questionnaire (SRS-22), Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) Back/Leg Pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Area-under-the-curve (AUC) method generated normalized HRQL scores at baseline (BL) and f/u intervals (1Y, 3Y). AUC was calculated for each f/u, and total area was divided by cumulative f/u, generating one number describing recovery (Integrated Health State [IHS]). Results. A total of 191 patients were included (59 years, 80% females). Breakdown of patients by frailty status: 43.6% NF, 40.8% MF, 15.6% SF. SF patients were older (P = 0.003), >body mass index (P = 0.002). MF and SF were significantly (P < 0.001) more malaligned at BL: pelvic tilt (NF: 21.6°; MF: 27.3°; SF: 22.1°), pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis (7.4°, 21.2°, 19.7°), sagittal vertical axis (31 mm, 87 mm, 82 mm). By SRS-Schwab, NF were mostly minor (40%), and MF and SF markedly deformed (64%, 57%). Frailty groups exhibited BL to 3Y improvement in SRS-22, ODI, NRS Back/Leg (P < 0.001). After HRQL normalization, SF had improvement in SRS-22 at year 1 and year 3 (P < 0.001), and NRS Back at 1Y. 3Y IHS showed a significant difference in SRS-22 (NF: 1.2 vs. MF: 1.32 vs. SF: 1.69, P < 0.001) and NRS Back Pain (NF: 0.52, MF: 0.66, SF: 0.6, P = 0.025) between frailty groups. SF had more complications (79%). SF/marked deformity had larger invasiveness score (112) compared to MF/moderate deformity (86.2). Controlling for baseline deformity and invasiveness, SF showed more improvement in SRS-22 IHS (NF: 1.21, MF: 1.32, SF: 1.66, P < 0.001). Conclusion. Although all frailty groups exhibited improved postop disability/pain scores, SF patients recovered better in SRS-22 and NRS Back. Despite SF patients having more complications and larger invasiveness scores, they had overall better patient-reported outcomes, signifying that with frailty severity, patients have more room for improvement postop compared to BL quality of life. Level of Evidence: 3