TY - JOUR PY - 2015// TI - Incidence and aetiology of traumatic spinal cord injury in Cape Town, South Africa: a prospective, population-based study JO - Spinal Cord A1 - Joseph, C. A1 - Delcarme, A. A1 - Vlok, I. A1 - Wahman, K. A1 - Phillips, J. A1 - Nilsson Wikmar, L. SP - 692 EP - 696 VL - 53 IS - 9 N2 - STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, regional population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: To provide the incidence, aetiology and injury characteristics of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) in the City of Cape Town, South Africa. SETTING: All government-funded hospitals within the City of Cape Town, South Africa.

METHODS: All survivors of acute TSCI, given that they met the inclusion criteria, were prospectively included for a 1-year period. The International Spinal Cord injury Core Data Set was used and systematically completed by specialist doctors. Further, international standards for neurological classification were adhered to.

RESULTS: In total, 147 cases of acute TSCI were identified and 145 were included in the study. The male to female ratio was 5.9:1 and the mean age was 33.5 years, ranging from 18 to 93. The crude incidence rate was 75.6 per million (95% CI: 64.3-88.8) with assault as the main cause of injury, accounting for 59.3% of the cases, followed by motor vehicle accidents (26.3%) and falls (11.7%). Most injuries occurred in the cervical spine (53.1%), and American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale A severity was most common (39.3%) in the cohort.

CONCLUSION: The incidence rate of TSCI in a region of South Africa was high when compared to previously postulated figures for the country. There is a need for primary preventative strategies to target younger men that are exposed to violent activities. A national study is required to learn whether these findings are only locally applicable or generalisable.Spinal Cord advance online publication, 31 March 2015; doi:10.1038/sc.2015.51.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1362-4393 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/sc.2015.51 ID - ref1 ER -