Global incidence and characteristics of spinal cord injury since 2000–2021: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMC Medicine, 2024 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03514-9 · Published: July 2, 2024

Spinal Cord Injury Research Methodology & Design Public Health

Simple Explanation

This study looks at the number of spinal cord injuries (SCI) and what they are like between 2000 and 2021. It uses a method called systematic review and meta-analysis. The goal is to give the most up-to-date information to help prevent, diagnose, treat, and care for SCI. The study found that the rates of different types of SCI are still high, and the people who get SCI are changing. This means SCI is a big problem for healthcare and the people affected.

Study Duration

2000 to March 29, 2024

Participants

531,299 SCI patients

Evidence Level

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Key Findings

1
The overall incidence rate of SCI was 23.77 per million people.
2
The incidence of TSCI exhibited a marked age-related increase and was significantly higher in community settings compared to hospital and database sources.
3
Males experienced TSCI at a rate 3.2 times higher than females.

Research Summary

This investigation aggregates the latest data to assess the epidemiologic characteristics of SCI from 2000 to 2021. Based on limited data, this study found that although NTSCI incidence is lower than TSCI, it has been steadily increasing, suggesting NTSCI is gradually emerging as a significant category of SCI. The incidence rates for various types of SCI remain high, with changing demographic characteristics among affected individuals.

Practical Implications

Targeted Prevention

Findings underscore the necessity of adopting targeted preventive, therapeutic, and rehabilitative measures based on the incidence and characteristics of SCI.

Community-Level Interventions

Given the higher incidence of TSCI in community surveys, preventive measures and rehabilitation services at the community level are crucial.

Focus on NTSCI

Future research should pay more attention to NTSCI to enhance awareness for its prevention and treatment, given its increasing incidence.

Study Limitations

1
The exclusive inclusion of English-language articles might have introduced potential language bias.
2
The diagnostic criteria for SCI were not clearly reported in different studies, and there may be inconsistencies in the diagnostic criteria used.
3
Variations in data collection and reporting standards across different studies warrant caution when interpreting the meta-analysis results.

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