Health-care costs of conservative management of spine fractures in trauma patients.

Background and Purpose: There is a lack of evidence on the broad health-care costs of treating spine trauma patients without neurological deficits conservatively. The aim of the present study was to estimate the primary and secondary health-care sector costs associated with conservative treatment of spine fractures as well as their determinants.
Methods: Patients were identified between 1999 and 2008 in the hospital's administrative system based on relevant diagnostic codes. Inclusion criteria were: (1) spine fractures (C1-L5); (2) age >18; and (3) conservative treatment. Exclusion criteria were: (1) neurological involvement and (2) fractures secondary to osteoporosis/malignancy. Health-care utilization and costs were retrieved from national administrative databases covering the entire health-care sector.
Results: 201 cervical, 150 thoracic, and 140 lumbar fracture patients were included in the study. The total health cost was estimated at €18,919 (16,199; 21,756), €8571 (6062; 11,733), €5526 (3473; 7465) for cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions, respectively. Hospital admissions accounted for the vast majority of costs while primary health care accounted for less than 3 % and prescription medication for less than 2 %. The determinants of costs included fracture site (p < 0.001) and concomitant lower limb injuries (p = 0.009).
Conclusions: Spinal fractures, even mild ones, appear to incur substantial health-care utilization and costs. Health-care costs in conjunction with cervical fractures are more than two-fold of those affiliated with thoracic and lumbar fractures. Among the concomitant injuries, lower limb injuries exert a substantial influence over health-care costs.