Causes of Spinal Cord Injury

Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil, 2013 · DOI: 10.1310/sci1901-1 · Published: January 1, 2013

Simple Explanation

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) have devastating physical and psychosocial consequences, with limited neurologic recovery. The financial burden on individuals, families, and society is substantial, making prevention critical. The study analyzed data from the National SCI Database (NSCID) and National Shriners SCI Database (NSSCID) to examine the causes of traumatic SCI in the United States from 2005 to 2011. The study found that automobile crashes and falls were the most common causes of SCI, followed by gunshot wounds, motorcycle crashes, diving incidents, and medical/surgical complications.

Study Duration

2005 to 2011

Participants

7,834 participants with traumatic SCI

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Automobile crashes were the leading cause of SCI until age 45, while falls became the leading cause after age 45.
2
Gunshot wounds, motorcycle crashes, and diving incidents caused more SCIs in males than in females.
3
A higher proportion of gunshot wounds caused SCIs in blacks compared to other racial/ethnic groups.

Research Summary

This study analyzed data from the NSCID and NSSCID from 2005 to 2011 to determine the specific causes of traumatic SCI in the United States. The most common causes of SCI were automobile crashes and falls, followed by gunshot wounds, motorcycle crashes, diving incidents, and medical/surgical complications. The findings suggest that prevention strategies should be tailored to specific populations and major causes of SCI to effectively reduce its incidence.

Practical Implications

Targeted Prevention Programs

Prevention strategies should be tailored to the targeted population and major causes to have a meaningful impact on reducing the incidence of SCI.

Focus on Young Males and Auto Crashes

The strongest efforts at preventing SCI should focus on young males and automobile crashes.

Violence Prevention for Black Communities

Prevention targeting blacks must address violence issues.

Study Limitations

1
The referral nature of the NSCID and NSSCID may introduce bias in the reported proportions of SCIs across different etiologies.
2
The study results are influenced by the locations of the SCI centers that contributed data, which might not be applicable to all SCIs occurring in the United States or other countries.
3
It is not feasible to identify appropriate denominator data to calculate actual incidence rates of SCI and estimate the risks across groups.

Your Feedback

Was this summary helpful?

Back to Spinal Cord Injury