An observational study to determine the association of craniomaxillofacial injuries in patients with cervical spine injuries

Background. Trauma remains a significant global health issue, claiming approximately 6 million lives annually. Craniomaxillofacial injuries often accompany cervical spine injuries due to the transfer of traumatic forces. This study aims to investigate the incidence of concomitant craniomaxillofacial injuries in patients with cervical spine injuries at a tertiary care centre in India. Our findings will enhance diagnostic accuracy and management strategies, ultimately improving clinical outcomes for affected patients. Methodology. This prospective observational cohort study included 50 patients aged 18 to 70 with cervical spine injuries, with or without craniomaxillofacial injuries, admitted to AIIMS Hospital Bhopal from January 2023 to March 2024. Ethical approval was secured, and patients were followed for six months. Data were analyzed using SPSS and Graph Pad Prism, employing statistical tests for significance. A chi-squared test (?² test) was conducted to evaluate the null hypothesis. A p-value of ? 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Observation and results. The majority of patients were aged 21 to 30 years, with male predominance. Combined cervical and craniomaxillofacial injuries occurred in 58% of cases, with C-5 being the most affected level. Among craniomaxillofacial injury patients, soft tissue injuries were present in most of the patients followed by mid-facial fractures. Road traffic accidents were the leading cause of injury, and hyperflexion was the most common mechanism in 56% of patients. The surgical intervention showed that post-surgery at the end of the 6-month follow-up, complete cervical injury (ASIA A) patients who survived 60% showed improvement to (ASIA B, C, D) while those patients with incomplete cervical injury, in 62.5%of patients showed improvement. Hospital stays averaged 17.58 days. Our study showed that mid-facial fractures were associated with both upper and lower cervical injuries and the injury at the lower third of the face was more commonly associated with upper cervical injuries at the level of C2. Conclusion. High-velocity traumatic injuries to the cervical spine are frequently associated with injuries to the maxillofacial region. It is crucial to perform a thorough clinical and radiological examination of these patients to facilitate early and effective management of both types of injuries. A multi-speciality collaborative approach should address these injuries, leading to better clinical outcomes in these patients.