This study analyzed the mortality in 1453 spinal cord injured patients admitted early after injury to a specialised Spinal Injuries Unit within a University teaching hospital over a 40-year period. The cohort comprised 55.3% patients with cervical lesions and 44.7% patients with thoracic/lumbar lesions. Those patients who died within 18 months of the spinal injury (132) were excluded from the ®nal analysis. Standardised Mortality Ratios, survival rates and life expectancy ratios were calculated for speci®c ranges of current attained age and duration since injury with reference to level and degree of spinal cord injury. The projected mean life expectancy of spinal cord injured people compared to that of the whole population was then estimated to approach 70% of normal for individuals with complete tetraplegia and 84% of normal for complete paraplegia (Frankel grade A). Patients with an incomplete lesion and motor functional capabilities (Frankel grade D) are projected to have a life expectancy of at least 92% of the normal population.

No abstract

Objectives: To estimate trends in incidence rates of rugby code‐related severe cervical spinal cord injuries in New South Wales (NSW) from 1986 to 2003. To evaluate the Australian Spinal Cord Injury Register (ASCIR) for injury surveillance by comparison with two published studies. Methods: Data were cases of complete and incomplete tetraplegia in rugby union and rugby league admitted to the two spinal units in NSW. Trends in incidence rates were estimated using Poisson regression modelling. Results: There was a small, nonsignificant decline from 1986 to 2003 in the incidence rate of tetraplegia in rugby union (9.8 vs. 6.1 per 100,000 player‐years; p=0.378) and rugby league (2.3 vs. 1.6 per 100,000 player‐years; p=0.564). The most common causes of injury were scrums for rugby union (35%) and tackles for rugby league (78%). This did not change over time (rugby union, p=0.118; rugby league, p=0.288). The ASCIR identified more cases of tetraplegia than insurance claims data and at least 75% of the cases ascertained by medical record review. Conclusions: There remains an urgent need to further improve safety in rugby union and rugby league. Scrummage in union and tackles in league remain the leading causes of tetraplegia. Rates of tetraplegia were significantly higher and more variable in rugby union than in rugby league. Implications: The ASCIR is a useful tool to monitor trends in spinal cord injury incidence in both rugby codes. Its potential value is constrained by the lack of accurate estimates of player numbers.

Since dynamic MRI is more accurate than static techniques in examining the cervical spine, it contributes substantially to identifying the risk of spinal injuries in professional rugby players, and when used in association with clinical assessment, it can assist in preventing spinal injury.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract