Traumatic spinal cord injury in Tianjin, China: a single-center report of 354 cases

Abstract

Study design: Hospital-based retrospective study.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiological profile of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) in Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, China, from 2009 to 2014.

Setting: Tianjin Medical University General Hospital.

Methods: Hospital medical records of patients with TSCI admitted to hospital from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2014 were reviewed. Collected variables included gender, age, marital status, ethnic group, occupation, etiology, neurological level of injury, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA)-ISCoS impairment scale at admission, the severity, death and its cause, concomitant injuries and treatment choice.

Results: During the study period, 354 cases were identified. Male-to-female ratio was 2.34:1, with a mean age of 50.1±15.5 years. Falls (55.1%), comprising low falls and high falls (33.6% and 21.5%, respectively), were the leading cause, followed by motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) (35.9%). The most common injury site was the cervical spinal cord, especially C4-C6, accounting for 59.3%. Surgery was the major treatment choice (57.6%).

Conclusion: The number of TSCI patients increased annually in our center. The mean age at the time of injury was older, and the proportion of males was higher. The leading two causes were falls and MVCs. The SCIs caused by MVCs were increasing. Peasants, workers and unemployed individuals were those at higher risk. Surgery was the major treatment choice. These data may be useful to implement those preventive strategies focused on the characteristics of different groups and pay more attention to high-risk populations.