The Italian Spine Trauma Registry: design and rationale of a prospective nationwide multicenter study on surgically treated spinal trauma.

STUDY

DESIGN

Prospective, nationwide, multicenter observational cohort registry with first-year implementation data.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the design and rationale of the Italian Spine Trauma Registry (TVMit) and assess the feasibility of standardized nationwide recruitment and longitudinal data collection in surgically treated spinal trauma.

SETTING

Forty-eight neurosurgical centers across Italy.

METHODS

Adults aged ≥ 16 years undergoing surgery for traumatic spinal column and/or spinal cord injury are prospectively enrolled from 2025 to 2034. Standardized data include demographics, injury characteristics, neurological status, surgical timing and technique, perioperative management, complications, rehabilitation, and Patient-Reported Outcome Spine Trauma (PROST), with follow-up at 3, 12, and 24 months.

RESULTS

During the first year, 673 participants were enrolled. Lumbar injuries were most frequent (46.2%), followed by thoracic (30.6%), subaxial cervical (15.0%), and upper cervical injuries (8.0%). Surgery within 48 h was more frequent for subaxial cervical injuries (46.5%), and posterior approaches predominated at upper cervical, thoracic, and lumbar levels.

CONCLUSIONS

TVMit has established a feasible national prospective platform for standardized real-world data collection in surgically managed spinal trauma. Longitudinal neurological and patient-reported outcomes will support benchmarking, comparative effectiveness research, and future predictive modeling.