Frequently Asked Questions About Spinal Cord Injury

How frequent are spinal cord injuries in the U.S?

About 12,000 people suffer spinal cord injuries every year in the United States. Most people injured are between 16 and 30 years old, and about 4 times as many men suffer SCI as women. Estimates of the total number of people living with spinal cord injury vary from 250,000 to nearly 400,000.

What are the major causes of SCI?

The largest single cause of spinal cord injuries is motor vehicle crashes, which cause 42%, followed by falls at 27%. Acts of violence at 15%; sports at 7.4% and all others at 8.1%. The percentage of injuries falls has increased steadily since 1973.

What is paraplegia?

An injury in the lower spine, usually from T-2, the second thoracic vertebra can result in paraplegia, the loss of use of the legs, imposing severe restrictions in a person's life. If the paraplegia is permanent, a person must plan his/her entire life around the restrictions that come with the loss of use of their legs, including permanent use of wheelchairs.

What is tetraplegia (formerly called quadriplegia)?

An injury in the cervical spine C-1 through C-7, or the first thoracic vertebra, T-1, will result in tetraplegia, loss of use of both upper and lower extremities. An individual with quadriplegia may also need mechanical assistance to breathe, and 24- hour around the clock assistive care to survive.

How important is prompt treatment after a spinal cord injury?

A spinal cord injury caused by trauma is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. Outcome and the degree of function preserved are directly affected by how promptly treatment is started.

Corticosteroids, such as dexamethasone or methylprednisolone, are now administered after most traumatic spinal cord injuries. They can reduce swelling that could further damage the spinal cord, but they must be administered within 8 hours after the injury. If the spinal cord is compressed by a hematoma (a pooling of blood from internal bleeding) or a fragment of bone, these must be surgically removed as promptly as possible to prevent further damage to the spinal nerves. These treatments may reduce or prevent paralysis in some cases.

What are the prospects for returning to work after a spinal cord injury?

About 40% of people with paraplegia and 30% of those with tetraplegia (quadriplegia) are eventually able to work again. The likelihood of returning to work is affected by such factors as a the level of the injury (how high on the spinal cord), completeness of the injury, ability to get around without assistance, the person's work history prior to the spinal cord injury, education level, age, gender, and motivation.

What is a physiatrist?

A physiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in rehabilitation medicine, and an expert in how to help people with spinal cord injuries recover their maximum function.