Association between injury severity scores and clinical outcomes in patients with traumatic spinal injury in an aging Japanese society

The Injury Severity Score (ISS) is widely used to evaluate patients with multiple injuries. This study investigated the association between ISS and clinical outcomes of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) in an aging Japanese population. This retrospective cohort study investigated patients admitted to a Japanese university hospital. In the study, 89 patients with traumatic SCI were included. Traumatic SCI was categorized as monotrauma or polytrauma, and the ISS was used to evaluate trauma severity. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to estimate the correlation between ISS and the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) motor score, Barthel Index (activities of daily living assessment), and the European Quality of Life (QOL) scale (EQ5d) as an assessment of QOL at admission or the last follow-up with the adjustment for age, sex, and body mass index. Return to home and work were analyzed using the chi-squared test after the ISS was divided into three groups (<14, 14–19, and 20). The mean ISS was significantly higher for polytrauma than monotrauma. Significant negative correlations between the ISS and ASIA motor scores at the first visit (P < .001, r = −0.37) and the last follow-up (adjusted, P = .007, r = −0.30) were observed. The Barthel Index was also negatively correlated with ISS at the first visit (P = .04, r = −0.21) and at the last follow-up period (P < .001, r = −0.35). Moreover, ISS was significantly negatively correlated with EQ5d score at the last follow-up (P = .01, r = −0.28). The chi-squared test demonstrated that patients with an ISS of < 14 returned home (P = .03), while those with an ISS of < 19 returned to work (P = .02). ISS is associated with paralysis, activities of daily living, QOL, and lifestyle in patients with SCI and is an important initial injury assessment method.