Incidence and patterns of spinal cord injury in Australia

The objective of this paper is to report on the epidemiology of spinal cord injury (SCI) based on the Australian SCI register and to discuss the implications for prevention. All adult cases of SCI are reported to the registry. The case reports for 1998/1999 were aggregated and described. The age adjusted rate of persisting SCI was 14.5 per million of population. Rates were highest in young adults and in males. The vast majority of cases (93%) were due to unintentional injury. Forty-three percent were due to motor vehicle crashes, principally from motor vehicle rollover. Cases of SCI from falls, aquatic activities, and working for income are also described. Incomplete cervical cord injuries were most common (38%), particularly as a result of motor vehicle crashes and low falls. The study indicates that the surveillance of SCI needs to be improved internationally so that comparative studies can be undertaken. It is recommended that the Centers for Disease Control case definition be adopted. Australia is one of the few countries that have a register based on that case definition, and the only one that has a register covering a full national adult population. The results presented on the basis of this data source provide some hitherto unavailable information on the incidence rates and patterns of SCI. National population based surveillance is fundamental to an understanding of the epidemiology, and hence the prevention, of this severe and costly health and welfare problem.