Three Decades of Spinal Cord Injury in Saudi Arabia: Trends in Incidence, Prevalence, and Disability Outcomes

Background/Objective: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a life-altering condition representing a major cause of long-term disability and substantial health burden worldwide. In the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, rapid urbanization and evolving injury patterns may have influenced SCI trends; however, national data remain limited. This study aimed to examine age-standardized trends in SCI incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) in Saudi Arabia from 1990 to 2021, comparing transport-related and non-transport unintentional injuries, and describing age- and sex-specific SCI patterns in 2021. Methods: Using data from the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) 2021 study, we conducted a population-based trend analysis for Saudi Arabia from 1990 to 2021, stratified by age, sex, and injury cause. Outcomes included age-standardized incidence, prevalence, and YLD rates per 100,000 population, along with percentage changes, average annual percentage changes, and rate ratios with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). Results: Between 1990 and 2021, age-standardized SCI showed a point estimate increase in incidence (25.0%; 95% UI: -28.3 to 116.8) and prevalence (24.3%; 95% UI: 0.8 to 53.4), while YLDs showed a modest rise (1.4%; 95% UI: -44.5 to 83.9). Males experienced greater increases in incidence (31.9%) and prevalence (32.3%) than females. Non-transport unintentional injuries surpassed transport-related causes, accounting for nearly 75% of SCI-related YLDs in 2021. The highest burden occurred among young adult males (highest incidence) and older adults (peak prevalence). Conclusions: The burden of SCI in Saudi Arabia has increased over the past three decades, with a shift toward non-transport unintentional injuries. Because wide uncertainty intervals limit definitive conclusions on trend direction, strengthening injury prevention, rehabilitation, and surveillance programs is crucial to mitigate this growing burden.