Epidemiology of non-traumatic spinal cord injury in Ireland – a prospective population-based study

The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 2022 · DOI: 10.1080/10790268.2020.1762829 · Published: May 21, 2020

Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Public Health

Simple Explanation

This study examines the occurrence of non-traumatic spinal cord injuries (NTSCI) in Ireland during 2017. It looks at how common these injuries are, who is affected, and what causes them. The study found that NTSCI is more common than traumatic spinal cord injury in Ireland. This highlights the need to improve rehabilitation services for individuals with spinal cord injuries. The most frequent cause of NTSCI was degenerative conditions, followed by neoplastic conditions. Most patients with NTSCI had a lengthy onset of symptoms, and incomplete paraplegia was the most common neurological outcome.

Study Duration

1 Year

Participants

129 persons with a newly acquired NTSCI

Evidence Level

Level III, Prospective study

Key Findings

1
The overall crude incidence of NTSCI in Ireland in 2017 was 26.9 per million per year.
2
Degenerative conditions were the most common cause of NTSCI (48.8%), followed by neoplastic conditions (26.4%).
3
Incomplete paraplegia was the most common injury level/severity.

Research Summary

This prospective study examined the epidemiology of non-traumatic spinal cord injury (NTSCI) in Ireland during 2017. It aimed to determine the incidence, demographic characteristics, and common etiologies of NTSCI to assist with service planning. The study found that the incidence of NTSCI in Ireland is more than double that of traumatic SCI. Degenerative conditions and neoplastic conditions were the most common causes of NTSCI. The authors conclude that the higher incidence of NTSCI compared to traumatic SCI suggests a need for prompt review and expansion of rehabilitation services for patients with spinal cord injuries in Ireland and propose the establishment of a national registry.

Practical Implications

Service Planning

The high incidence of NTSCI indicates a need for increased resources and better planning of rehabilitation services for spinal cord injuries.

Resource Allocation

The findings highlight the importance of prioritizing resources towards managing degenerative and neoplastic conditions to reduce the risk of NTSCI.

Future Research

The establishment of a national registry for spinal cord injuries is warranted for future tracking and improved understanding of SCI trends in Ireland.

Study Limitations

1
All cases might not have been captured e.g. if there was a mild case of transverse myelitis that recovered spontaneously before requiring referral for specialist SCI management or a patient with spinal cord compression and very advanced metastatic disease, referred for palliative services only.
2
we could not collect data on length of hospital stay or discharge destination on the patients who were not admitted to specialist SCI rehabilitation.
3
As this is the first study of its kind in Ireland, we do not know if NTSCI incidence is constant, decreasing or increasing although the latter is suspected, based on 10 years of data from the Czech Republic.

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