Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jul;59(7):761-768.
doi: 10.1038/s41393-020-00575-4. Epub 2020 Nov 4.

Epidemiology of traumatic spinal cord injury in Finland

Elina Johansson  1 , Teemu M Luoto  2 , Aki Vainionpää  3 , Anna-Maija Kauppila  4 , Mauri Kallinen  5   6 , Eija Väärälä  7 , Eerika Koskinen  7
Affiliations

Epidemiology of traumatic spinal cord injury in Finland

Elina Johansson et al. Spinal Cord. 2021 Jul.

Abstract

Study design: Prospective cohort study.

Objectives: To determine the incidence and evaluate the characteristics of newly injured patients admitted to two spinal cord injury (SCI) centers during a 4-year period.

Setting: Oulu and Tampere University Hospital, Finland.

Methods: A dedicated multidisciplinary team evaluated all of the patients with new traumatic SCI (TSCI). The data were recorded according to the International Spinal Cord Injury Core Data Sets.

Results: In a 4-year period, 346 new patients with TSCI were admitted to the study centers. In the Oulu and Tampere University Hospitals' catchment areas, the mean annual incidence of TSCI was 36.6 per million. The leading causes of injury were low-level falls (36.2%), high-level falls (25.5%), and transport-related accidents (19.2%). In the patients >60 years, 72.6% were injured by falling and the proportion of low-level falls was 49.7%. In the patients ≤60 years old, 47.4% were alcohol-related. The proportion of cervical injuries in the patients >60 years was 77.1%, while in the patients ≤60 years the proportion was 59.6%. The incidence of TSCI was higher during the Summer and Autumn months.

Conclusion: The mean annual incidence of TSCI was 36.6 per million corresponding to 200 new annual cases in Finland. Incomplete tetraplegia due to falling among elderly was overrepresented in the study population. Alcohol-consumption preceded injury in nearly half of the cases in the younger population. The prevention should focus on alcohol-related injuries and falls in the elderly.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. The percentages of new TSCI patients in different age groups categorized by gender.
Study period in Oulu UHs’ primary referral area May 1, 2012 - April 31, 2016 and in Tampere UHs’ primary referral area January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2015.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. The etiology of TSCI for the period May 1, 2012 - April 31, 2016 in Oulu UHs’ primary referral area and for the period January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2015 in Tampere UHs’ primary referral area.
Proportions in age groups under and over 60 years stratified by the level of injury.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. The seasonal variation in TSCI incidence.
The percentages of new TSCI patients per month in Oulu UHs’ primary referral area for the period May 1, 2012 - April 31, 2016 and in Tampere UHs’ primary referral area for the period January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2015.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland. Health Care Act 1326/2010: Centralization of Specialist Medical Care. http://finlex.fi/fi/laki/kaannokset/2010/en201013326.pdf
    1. Koskinen EA, Alen M, Väärälä EM, Rellman J, Kallinen M, Vainionpää A. Centralized spinal cord injury care in Finland: unveiling the hidden incidence of traumatic injuries. Spinal Cord. 2014;52:779–84. doi: 10.1038/sc.2014.131. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ahoniemi E, Alaranta H, Hokkinen EM, Valtonen K, Kautiainen H. Incidence of traumatic spinal cord injuries in Finland over a 30-year period. Spinal Cord. 2008;46:781–4. doi: 10.1038/sc.2008.53. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Joseph C, Andersson N, Bjelak S, Giesecke K, Hultling C, Nilsson Wikmar L, et al. Incidence, aetiology and injury characteristics of traumatic spinal cord injury in Stockholm, Sweden: a prospective, population-based update. J Rehabil Med. 2017;49:431–6. - PubMed
    1. Halvorsen A, Pettersen AL, Nilsen SM, Halle KK, Schaanning EE, Rekand T. Epidemiology of traumatic spinal cord injury in Norway in 2012–2016: a registry-based cross-sectional study. Spinal Cord. 2019;57:331–8. doi: 10.1038/s41393-018-0225-5. - DOI - PubMed