A survey of non-traumatic paraplegia

A survey of cases of non-traumatic acquired paraplegia over a 30-year period revealed an admission rate of about 30 per cent of all new admissions to the Unit. Whereas the usual sex ratio of traumatic cases remained constant at 4.5 males to one female the ratio in non-traumatic paraplegia was almost equal between the sexes, five males to four females, thereby influencing the bed allocations between the sexes. Iatrogenic cases formed a very small part of the survey.