Article

OBJECTIVES: To assess the incidence of nontraumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) in a
determined catchment area in Spain, and to evaluate clinical presentations and
trends over time. DESIGN: Population-based case series study between January 1972
and December 2008 [corrected]. SETTING: A hospital with a specialized SCI unit in
a delimited health area in Spain. PARTICIPANTS: Hospital inpatients and
outpatients with nontraumatic SCI. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME
MEASURES: Age- and sex-specific incidence rates. RESULTS: An adjusted incidence
rate of 11.4 per million population was found for this region (12.3 for males,
10.4 for females). A total of 541 cases (53% male) were reported over the 37-year
study period. Incidence rates increased with age, with a peak in the 60- to
69-year age group. Tumors were the major cause of SCI. Most of the lesions were
at the thoracic level, and C and D were the most frequently observed American
Spinal Injury Association grades. CONCLUSIONS: Nontraumatic SCI shows a
relatively even sex distribution and tends to affect older adults. Injuries are
mainly attributable to age-related conditions and result mostly in incomplete
lesions, which present with paraplegia.
This study revealed that although
incidence rates for nontraumatic SCI are similar to those previously reported for
traumatic SCI in the same area and during the same period, demographic and
clinical characteristics are different. These findings have important
implications regarding the delivery of rehabilitation and support services to
this group of patients, and suggest the need for health policies that involve
improved care and prevention resources.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS