TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2014//
TI  - Incidence of traumatic spinal cord injury in Denmark, 1990-2012: a hospital-based study
JO  - Spinal Cord
A1  - Bjørnshave Noe, B.
A1  - Mikkelsen, E. M.
A1  - Hansen, R. M.
A1  - Thygesen, M.
A1  - Hagen, E. M.
SP  - 436
EP  - 440
VL  - 53
IS  - 6
N2  - Study design:Hospital-based incidence study.<br><br>OBJECTIVES:To assess the incidence of traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCIs) and TSCI incidence trends in relation to cause, age, gender, level and completeness of injury.Setting:Spinal Cord Injury Centre of Western Denmark.<br><br>METHODS:We reviewed medical records of TSCI patients admitted between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 2012. Proportions, incidence rates and incidence rate ratios were calculated for five time periods; 1990-94, 1995-99, 2000-04, 2005-09 and 2010-12, and were stratified on age, gender, cause, level and completeness of TSCI. TSCI incidence was calculated as the number of new cases divided by person-years at risk.<br><br>RESULTS:Included were 691 patients (males 81.9%). Within the study period, median age at time of injury rose from 29.0 to 47.5 years. The overall annual TSCI incidence during the study period 1990-94 to 2010-12 was 10.2 per million person-years at risk and varied from 8.3 to 11.8. The proportion of transport-related injuries fell from 56.9% in the first to 36.8% in the most recent time period. Fall-related injuries rose from 11.1 to 35.5%. The proportion of incomplete tetraplegia increased from 32.0% in the first to 40.5% in the last time period.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS:The overall TSCI incidence is low and remained stable from 1990 to 2012. The proportion of transport-related injuries fell, while age at time of injury and proportion of fall-related injuries and proportion with incomplete tetraplegia all increased.Spinal Cord advance online publication, 4 November 2014; doi:10.1038/sc.2014.181.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1362-4393
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/sc.2014.181
ID  - ref1
ER  -