An Epidemiologic Study on Spinal Injuries in Kashan

Spinal canal and spinal cord injuries are one of the most common causes of death and disabilities in trauma victims. Since treatment and long term care for these patients causes a major economic burden on the society and there isn’t adequate data in this regard in our country.

This study was carried out in Naghavi University Hospital, Kashan, from December 1995 to December 1999 to determine the incidence of these injuries.

This descriptive study included all admitted trauma victims. Age, sex, cause of trauma, site of fracture, kind of fracture, and neurological status of the patients were recorded. All of patients were studied by x- ray and CT scan. Findings were statistically analyzed.

During the study period, 225 cases were included. Age of the patients was 39±18 and the age range was from 6 to 82. 177(78.5%) were males and 48 (21.5 %) females (male to female ratio was 3.7 to 1). The most common age range in terms of injuries was in age group of 20-50(60.4%). Burst fracture was the most common type of injury and was seen in 102 cases (43 %). The most common cause of injury was falling down which was seen in 128 cases (56.9 %) In 39 cases (17.3 %), spinal cord injury was seen.

Incidences of spinal fractures and spinal cord injury are similar to those reported in the literature, but the mechanism of trauma and kind of fracture, falling down and burst fracture respectively, are different from most of references and this needs further etiologic study.