September is national spinal cord injury awareness month. Neurologists, spinal cord injury (SCI) patients, and family members of those injured work hand-in-hand with advocate groups to spread awareness of the prevelance of spinal cord injuries and available treatments.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects approximately 1,275,000 in the US, with at least 12,000 new cases occurring each year. The spinal cord runs down the middle of the back through the spinal canal, protected by hard vertebrae. National organizations, such as the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, offer updated resources and information for spinal cord injury patients and their families.
Spinal cord injuries typically result from trauma that fractures or dislodges one or more vertebrae, causing the spinal cord to be pinched or torn. The majority of injuries don’t cut through the actual spinal cord. Rather, they cause damage when pieces of vertebrae tear into the cord or press on or “pinch” the peripheral nerves parts that carry signals from the spinal cord to the body.
Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries by Number/Percentage (2013)
According to the most recently available statistics, spinal cord injured people living in the US breaks down as follows:
Total Spinal Cord Injuries: 1,275,000
- Motor Vehicle Accident: 311,000 / 24%
- Accident Working: 362,000 / 28%
- Sports/Recreation Accident: 206,000 / 16%
- Falls: 112,000 / 9%
- Victim of Violence: 76,000 / 4%
- Birth Defects: 34,000 / 3%
- Natural Disaster: 8,000 / 1%
- Other: 76,000 / 6%
Leading Causes of Paralysis by Number and Percentage
Total Paralysis Patients: 5,596,000
- Stroke: 1,608,000 / 29%
- Spinal Cord Injury: 1,275,000 / 23%
- Multiple Sclerosis: 939,000 / 17%
- Cerebral Palsy: 412,000 / 7%
- Post-Polio Syndrome: 272,000 / 5%
- Traumatic Brain Injury: 242,000 / 4%
- Neurofibromatosis: 212,000 / 4%
- Unspecified Birth Defect: 110,000 / 2%
- Other: 526,000 / 9%
Spinal Cord Injury Patient Statistics in the US
- Every 48 minutes, another person will become paralyzed
- During 1973-79, the average age at injury was 28.7 years, since 2010, the average age at injury is now 42.6 years.
- 57.1% of SCI patients were employed at the time of injury.
- One year after injury, only 11.8% of SCI patients remain employed or go back to work.
- Marital Status: 51.6% of patients are single at the time an SCI occurs.
- Men account for nearly 82% of SCI patients (women=18%)
- 50-70% of all new SCI cases each year occur in people ages 15-35
- Estimated racial/ethnic distribution in all SCI patients:
- White: 67%
- African American: 24%
- Hispanic: 8%
- Other (Native American/Asian): 1%
- 2/3 of sports/recreation-related SCI are from diving (pools)
- Breakdown of SCI Neurological Category (of all SCI)
- Quadriplegia, incomplete 31.2%
- Quadriplegia, complete 17.5%
- Paraplegia, incomplete 23.1%
- Paraplegia, complete 28.2%
- Average Hospital Stays for SCI Patients:
- Quadriplegics 95 days
- Paraplegics 67 days
- All (average) 79 days
- Less than 1% of SCI patients experience complete neurological recovery by hospital discharge.
Wearing a seat belt, avoiding drunk and distracted driving and wearing a helmet are some suggested ways to protect yourself against a spinal cord injury. To learn more about spinal cord injuries, you can visit: The Christopher Reeve Foundation
References:
Paralyzed Veterans of America
