Spinal cord injury is a medically complex and life-disrupting condition, associated with very high mortality rates (early death rates after admission range from 4 to 20%). In addition, it’s complicated subsequent severe disability due to the development of early or late complications. Today, in high-income countries, SCI can be viewed less as the end of a worthwhile or productive life and more as a personal and social challenge that can be successfully overcome. SCI can be divided into two types of injury on the basis of severity: complete and incomplete injury. Damage to the spinal cord may be traumatic (falls, road traffic injuries, occupational and sports injuries, violence) or non-traumatic (infectious disease, tumor, musculoskeletal disease, congenital problems such as spina bifid).
Part of the book: Spinal Cord Injury