SCI Epidemiology and Complications

This study was designed as a retrospective descriptive study. Patients who were admitted to the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation outpatient clinic of Bandırma Training and Research Hospital with a diagnosis of paraplegia or tetraplegia between December 1, 2020, and December 1, 2025, were included in the study. These diagnoses were screened using the following ICD-10 codes: G82 (paraplegia and tetraplegia), G82.0 (flaccid paraplegia), G82.1 (spastic paraplegia), G82.2 (paraparesis and paraplegia, unspecified), G82.3 (flaccid tetraplegia), G82.4 (spastic tetraplegia), and G82.5 (tetraplegia, unspecified).

Data regarding patients' age, sex, etiology of spinal cord injury, level of injury, and the presence of complications were recorded. In cases where complications were present, the time from injury to the development of complications was recorded in months.

Since the most common causes of spinal cord injury differ across age groups, age categories were defined as ≤29 years, 30-44 years, 45-59 years, 60-74 years, and ≥75 years. Etiological classification was based on the most common causes reported in the literature, including traffic accidents, falls from height, sports-related injuries, post-disc herniation or surgery, non-traumatic/inflammatory causes, and other causes.

As the level of injury affects both clinical presentation and the development of complications, injury levels were categorized as cervical (C1-C8), thoracic (T1-T12), and lumbosacral (L1-S5). Evaluation parameters and grouping methods were determined based on similar studies reported in the literature.

Inclusion criteria

• clinical diagnosis of paraplegia
• clinical diagnosis of tetraplegia

Exclusion criteria

• traumatic brain injury
• brain tumor
• cranial lesions