Spinal cord injuries

Abstract

Approximately, 200,000 people in the United States have spinal cord injuries (SCI), and some 10,000 new injuries occur annually. Most new victims are between 18 and 30 years old. The lifetime costs of paraplegia for such patients can exceed several million dollars in medical support and lost wages. The potential mechanisms of injury include compression, distraction, acceleration-deceleration, and shearing forces, as well as direct section from penetrating injuries. © 2010 Springer-Verlag US.