[Patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries at the department of neurology, Haukeland Hospital 1952-99]. / Pasienter med traumatiske ryggmargsskader ved Nevrologisk avdeling, Haukeland Sykehus 1952-99.

BACKGROUND: We wanted to study the cause and the segmental level of traumatic spinal cord injuries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All 238 patients (208 men) with traumatic spinal cord injuries admitted to the Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway, from 1952 to 1999 were included. Data were obtained from medical files and studied retrospectively. RESULTS: The initial clinical level of injury was the cervical spine in 50% of the patients, the thoracic spine in 33%, and the lumbar spine in 18%. Falling (45%) and road accidents (35%) were the main causes. The mean annual number of patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries increased from three in 1952-60 to eight in 1991-99; there was an increase in high cervical injuries among those older than 60. The proportion of work-related traumatic spinal cord injuries was 42% in 1952-74 and 26% in 1975-99. INTERPRETATION: Although there has been a reduction of work-related spinal cord injuries, there is still a potential for further prevention, especially among persons of more than 60 years of age.