Thoracolumbar Injury Classification and Severity (TLICS) and Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury Classification System (SLICS) are based on 3 components of injury:
- Fracture morphology
- Neurological status
- Integrity of ligamentous structures
TLICS score and SLICS score provide a scoring system to guide management:
- <4: Non-operatively
- 4: Indeterminate (operative or non-operative based on surgeon’s clinical decision making)
- >4: Operatively
| Characteristics | TLICS | SLIC |
| 1. Injury morphology (Radiographs, CT) | ||
| a. No abnormality | 0 | 0 |
| b. Compression | 1 | 1 |
| c. Burst | 2 | 2 |
| d. Translation/rotation | 3 | 4 |
| e. Distraction | 4 | 3 |
| 2. PLC/DLC integrity (MRI) | ||
| a. Intact | 0 | 0 |
| b. Indeterminate | 2 | 1 |
| c. Disrupted | 3 | 2 |
| 3. Neurological status (Clinical examination) | ||
| a. Intact | 0 | 0 |
| b. Nerve root injury | 2 | 1 |
| c. Complete cord injury | 2 | 2 |
| d. Incomplete cord injury | 3 | 3 |
| e. Cauda equina injury | 3 | – |
| f. Persistent cord compression in the setting of neuro-deficit | – | +1 |
