Incidence of traumatic spinal cord injuries in Finland over a 30-year period

Study design: Register survey. Objective: To provide national Finnish data on the incidence of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) over a 30-year period. Setting: Kapyla Rehabilitation Centre, Helsinki, Finland. Methods: Patients aged 16 years and older who sustained a TSCI between 1976 and 2005 were identified using the registers of the Kapyla Rehabilitation Centre. Results: The medical records of a total of 1647 patients ( 1362 men and 285 women) were analyzed. The mean annual incidence rate for the entire population was 13.8/1 000 000. Age-adjusted incidence did not change among men or women during the three decades, but the mean age at injury of both men (from 34.7 to 42.4 years) and women (from 35.8 to 40.4 years) increased. The annual incidence of new TSCI rose significantly in persons 55 years and older. The proportion of tetraplegia and of incomplete injuries increased, too. Conclusion: Although TSCI is predominantly present in young men, more attention for primary prevention, medical care and rehabilitation in men and women aged 55 years and older is needed. An international uniformity in methodology to collect epidemiological data of TSCI is needed.