A significant trend over time has been observed in the racial distribution of persons in the Model System database.

Among persons injured between 1973 and 1978, 77.5% of persons in the database were Caucasian, 13.5% were African-American, 5.7% were Hispanic, 2% were American Indian and 0.8% were Asian. Continue Reading »

There are seven cervical, twelve thoracic, five lumbar, and one sacral vertebrae that make up the spine. The bones get progressively thicker moving down the spinal cord. The level of injury references Spinal Cord Injuries.

Cervical Injuries are the highest these injuries are referred to as C2 being the highest level of injury and C8 being the lowest level of injury with the most function. Individuals with Cervical injuries are most often referred to as Quadraplegics because all four limbs are affected. Continue Reading »

T The part of the spinal cord that is situated at the bony segmental level of L1 contains most of the spinal cord that represent the L1-S4 spinal segments. These segments innervate the pelvic area and the legs.

Collections of neurons in these segments control a variety of functions. These include walking (locomotion), the series of reflexes leading to urination (micturation), sexual function, etc. Continue Reading »

Motor vehicle crashes rank 1st at 38.5% followed by acts of violence at 24.5%; falls at 21.8%; sports at 7.2% and all others at 7.9%.

These figures are for all injuries reported to the National Database since 1990. The percentage of cases due to acts of violence and falls have increased steadily since 1973.

The percentage of cases due to motor vehicle crashes and sports has been falling. Continue Reading »

Motor vehicle crashes rank 1st at 38.5% followed by acts of violence at 24.5%; falls at 21.8%; sports at 7.2% and all others at 7.9%.

These figures are for all injuries reported to the National Database since 1990. The percentage of cases due to acts of violence and falls have increased steadily since 1973. Continue Reading »

The more you get out there, the more you will learn about your capabilities and limitations. You learn how to make your experiences as unfettered and convenient as possible.

Visit the resources section of our website to learn about some of the many resources available. If you have a resource not listed on our site please e-mail it to us and we will be glad to add it to our site. Continue Reading »

Several clinical trials are assessing therapies that are applied within 2 weeks after injury.

These include activated macrophages (which may help repair the injured cord), alternating currents (to stimulate regeneration), and AIT-082 (a drug that may stimulate growth factors and stem cell proliferation).

The macrophage trial is limited to people with “complete” thoracic spinal cord injury and requires surgery. Continue Reading »

It is estimated that the annual incidence of spinal cord injury (SCI), not including those who die at the scene of the accident, is approximately 40 cases per million population in the U. S., or approximately 11,000 new cases each year.

Since there have not been any overall incidence studies of SCI in the U.S. since the 1970′s it is not known if incidence has changed in recent years. Continue Reading »

Spinal cord injury disconnects the brain from the spinal cord below the injury site. The spinal cord below the injury site does not die unless it has been damaged by loss of blood flow (ischemia). The lower spinal cord becomes hyperactive because spinal cord injury interrupts not only excitatory but also inhibitory connections to the cord. The spinal cord above the injury site also may become hyperactive, producing abnormal sensations. Continue Reading »

Partial or complete loss of function, especially when involving the motion or sensation in a part of the body. Continue Reading »