Traumatic and Nontraumatic Spinal Cord Injuries

Objective Owing to the aging of the population in the United States, it is anticipated that injury mechanisms, treatment, and outcomes of spinal cord injuries (SCI) will change. There is a scarcity of literature on nontraumatic SCI. Our goal in this study was to evaluate the causes, management, complications, and outcomes after SCI. Methods In a retrospective review, patients with traumatic and nontraumatic SCI admitted to the inpatient rehabilitation unit at a level 1 trauma center from 2003 to 2013 were reviewed. Results In all, 757 entries were identified, and 685 unique patients met our inclusion criteria; 17.4% were Conclusions Falls caused significantly more SCIs than expected, but most SCIs were predominantly nontraumatic in cause. The epidemiology of SCI is shifting rapidly.