Title

The AO spine upper cervical injury classification system: Do work setting or trauma center affiliation affect classification accuracy or reliability?

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2022

Publication Title

Injury

Keywords

washington; swedish; swedish neurosci; Humans; Lumbar Vertebrae; Observer Variation; Reproducibility of Results; Spinal Injuries; Surgeons; Thoracic Vertebrae

Abstract

PURPOSE: To assess the accuracy and reliability of the AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System based on a surgeons' work setting and trauma center affiliation.

METHODS: A total of 275 AO Spine members participated in a validation of 25 upper cervical spine injuries, which were evaluated by computed tomography (CT) scans. Each participant was grouped based on their work setting (academic, hospital-employed, or private practice) and their trauma center affiliation (Level I, Level II or III, and Level IV or no trauma center). The classification accuracy was calculated as percent of correct classifications, while interobserver reliability, and intraobserver reproducibility were evaluated based on Fleiss' Kappa coefficient.

RESULTS: The overall classification accuracy for surgeons affiliated with a level I trauma center was significantly greater than participants affiliated with a level II/III center or a level IV/no trauma center on assessment one (p

CONCLUSION: Type B injuries are the most difficult injury type to correctly classify. They are classified with greater reliability and classification accuracy when evaluated by academic surgeons, hospital-employed surgeons, and surgeons associated with higher-level trauma centers (I or II/III).

Clinical Institute

Neurosciences (Brain & Spine)

Clinical Institute

Orthopedics & Sports Medicine

Department

Orthopedics

Department

Neurosciences

Department

Surgery

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