STUDY DESIGN: Survey of expert opinion, feedback and final consensus.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development and the variables included in the International Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Spinal Interventions and Surgical Procedures Basic Data set.

SETTING: International working group.

METHODS: A committee of experts was established to select and define data elements. The data set was then disseminated to the appropriate committees and organizations for comments. All suggested revisions were considered and both the International Spinal Cord Society and the American Spinal Injury Association endorsed the final version.

RESULTS: The data set consists of nine variables: (1) Intervention/Procedure Date and start time (2) Non-surgical bed rest and external immobilization, (3) Spinal intervention-closed manipulation and/or reduction of spinal elements, (4) Surgical procedure-approach, (5) Date and time of the completion of the intervention or surgical closure; (6) Surgical procedure-open reduction, (7) Surgical procedure-direct decompression of neural elements, and (8 and 9) Surgical procedure-stabilization and fusion (spinal segment number and level). All variables are coded using numbers or characters. Each spinal intervention and procedure is coded (variables 1 through 7) and the spinal segment level is described (variables 8 and 9). Sample clinical cases were developed to illustrate how to complete it.

CONCLUSION: The International SCI Spinal Interventions and Surgical Procedures Basic Data Set was developed to facilitate comparisons of spinal interventions and surgical procedures among studies, centers and countries.