A 50-year follow-up of the incidence of traumatic spinal cord injuries in Western Norway

Abstract

Study design: Retrospective population-based epidemiological study. Objective: To assess the prevalence and temporal trends in the incidence of traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCI), and demographic and clinical characteristics of an unselected, geographically defined cohort in the period 1952-2001. Methods: The patients were identified from hospital records. Crude rates and age-adjusted rates were calculated for each year. The multivariate relationship between cause of injury, age at injury, decade of injury and gender was examined using a Poisson regression model. Results: Of 336 patients, 199 patients were alive on 1 January 2002, giving a total prevalence of 36.5 per 100 000 inhabitants. The average annual incidence increased from 5.9 per million in the first decade to 21.2 per million in the last. Mean age at injury was 42.9 years and the male to female ratio 4.7:1. Fall was the most common cause of injury (45.5%), followed by motor vehicle accidents (MVA) (34.2%). The incidence of MVA-related injuries increased during the observation period, especially among men o30 years. The lesion level was cervical in 52.4%, thoracic in 29.5% and lumbar/sacral in 18.2%. The lesion was clinically incomplete in 58.6% and complete in 41.4%. The incidence of fall-related injuries and the proportion of incomplete cervical lesions increased during the observation period, especially among men 460 years. Conclusions: The incidence of TSCI has increased during the past 50 years. Falls and MVA are potentially preventable causes. The increasing proportion of older patients with cervical lesions poses a challenge to the health system.

Traumatic spinal cord injury among children and adolescents; a cohort study in western Norway

“…5 The population of children younger than 15 years in the two counties was 104 234 on 1 January 1952 and 108 336 on 1 January 2002. 9 The population of adolescence between 15 and 19 years in the two counties was 24 966 on 1 January 1952 and 32 563 on 1 January 2002.…”

“…8 Patients with a file at any of the hospitals in the two counties were included. 5,6 Patients with neurological deficits lasting o1 week and patients with injuries due to medical procedures/treatment were not included.…”

“…2,5,11 Only inhabitants of the two counties were included in this study. The analysis was also limited by including only hospital data.…”

“…4 We have previously reported the incidence of TSCI in western Norway (an unselected geographically defined cohort) during 50 years. 5,6 In this study, we assess the temporal trends of the age-adjusted incidence of TSCI, and demographic characteristics among children and adolescences.…”

Fatigue in persons who have lived with spinal cord injury for >20 years

“…However, based on two studies and an estimated 1-year mortality rate of 20%, 26,27 we calculated that our cohort (n ¼ 387) includes B50% of all Norwegians injured between 1961 and 1982 who survived at least 1 year after SCI (calculations available on request).…”