SUMMARY INTRODUCTION Structural disparities between different Brazilian regions in public health system cause patients to migrate in search of better conditions to treat their diseases. Besides patient’s discomfort, there is a concentration of care in large centres, causing overload to current capacity. OBJECTIVE To evaluate migratory flow and associated factors in a reference service in oncology. METHODS Cross-sectional study conducted at a referral oncology service in Great ABC region of São Paulo. Patients were interviewed, and clinical and demographic data collected. RESULTS Between March-July 2016, 217 patients were included. Analysis showed a divergence between the postal code registered in the medical record and that recorded during the interview in approximately 10% of cases. Of these, 42.9% were residents of other states. Search for treatment motivated most patients to seek service outside their city. CONCLUSION Results reflect the informal search for medical care outside the home area. Besides the direct impact on patients’ quality of life, migratory flow has an economic-social impact because these patients place a burden and impose costs on services of cities where they do not perform their responsibilities as citizens. Confirmation of the existence of a significant migratory flow demonstrates the need to discuss restructuring public health policies.

A incidência da ossificação heterotópica (OH) varia de 10 a 53%. Em pacientes com lesão medular (LM), o principal fator de risco associado ao desenvolvimento de OH é gravidade do comprometimento medular de acordo com a American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS).