Citation

New PW, Sundararajan V. Spinal Cord 2008; 46(6): 406-411.

Affiliation

Spinal Rehabilitation Unit, Caulfield General Medical Centre, Caulfield, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Me

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, International Spinal Cord Society, Publisher Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1038/sj.sc.3102152

PMID

18071356

Abstract

Study design: Data extraction from a state-wide, population-based, health-administration database of hospital admissions.Objective:To determine the incidence of non-traumatic spinal cord injury (NTSCI). Setting:Victoria, Australia. Methods:All patients admitted to hospital with a new onset of NTSCI, or who developed NTSCI after hospitalization, between 1 July 2000 and 30 June 2006, were identified using a population-based database. Age and gender of NTSCI patients were recorded.Results:The number of adults aged 15 years and older with NTSCI in each of the 12-month periods was 82, 111, 96, 108, 133 and 101. The average age-adjusted incidence rate of NTSCI in adults was 26.3 cases per million per year. There was no statistically significant increase in the age-adjusted incidence of NTSCI over the study period (Spearman's rho=0.35, P=0.5). The incidence of NTSCI was significantly greater than the reported incidence for traumatic spinal cord injury (chi (2) (1)=19.5, P

Language: en