Military gunshot wound-induced spinal cord injuries

Abstract

Gunshot wounds are the second leading cause of spinal cord injuries in developed countries, whereas in undeveloped and developing countries, this likelihood is much more. However, the weapon and injury characteristics are very different between those two groups of countries. The aim of this study was to review our experience with gunshot wound-caused spinal cord injury during our struggle with terrorism, to examine surgical and medical complications, and to determine the difference between civilian and military gunshot wounds. One hundred five male patients (mean, 25 years of age) were examined according to completeness, spinal and nonspinal injuries, American Spinal Injury Association classification, motor and pinprick scores, surgical and nonsurgical interventions, surgical complications, and spinal cord injury-related medical complications. This study has shown that the likelihood of completeness was higher in gunshot wounds with high velocity weapons. Because of their higher wounding capacity, the difference between vertebral and neurological levels was not very different as it was on the other etiologies. Fortunately, spinal cord injury-related medical complications were less than expected.