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Affiliation
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1] Spinal Cord Injury Centre of Western Denmark, Viborg, Denmark [2] Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark [3] Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. |
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Abstract
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Study design:Hospital-based incidence study.
OBJECTIVES:To assess the incidence of traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCIs) and TSCI incidence trends in relation to cause, age, gender, level and completeness of injury.Setting:Spinal Cord Injury Centre of Western Denmark.
METHODS:We reviewed medical records of TSCI patients admitted between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 2012. Proportions, incidence rates and incidence rate ratios were calculated for five time periods; 1990-94, 1995-99, 2000-04, 2005-09 and 2010-12, and were stratified on age, gender, cause, level and completeness of TSCI. TSCI incidence was calculated as the number of new cases divided by person-years at risk.
RESULTS:Included were 691 patients (males 81.9%). Within the study period, median age at time of injury rose from 29.0 to 47.5 years. The overall annual TSCI incidence during the study period 1990-94 to 2010-12 was 10.2 per million person-years at risk and varied from 8.3 to 11.8. The proportion of transport-related injuries fell from 56.9% in the first to 36.8% in the most recent time period. Fall-related injuries rose from 11.1 to 35.5%. The proportion of incomplete tetraplegia increased from 32.0% in the first to 40.5% in the last time period.
CONCLUSIONS:The overall TSCI incidence is low and remained stable from 1990 to 2012. The proportion of transport-related injuries fell, while age at time of injury and proportion of fall-related injuries and proportion with incomplete tetraplegia all increased.Spinal Cord advance online publication, 4 November 2014; doi:10.1038/sc.2014.181.
Language: en |