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Spinal Trauma and Spinal Cord Injury

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Diseases of the Brain, Head and Neck, Spine 2016-2019

Abstract

The majority of the spinal injuries (60 %) affect young healthy males between 15 and 35 years of age with cervical spine injuries to be most common. The main cause for spinal injuries is blunt trauma most commonly due to motor vehicle accidents (48 %), followed by falls (21 %), and sport injuries (14.6 %). Assault and penetrating trauma account for approximately 10–20 % of the cases. Injuries to the spinal column and the spinal cord are a major cause of disability, affecting predominately young healthy individuals with important socioeconomic consequences, and the costs of lifetime care and rehabilitation exceed one million US dollars per patient excluding financial losses related to wages and productivity. Over the past several decades, the mean age of the spinal cord-injured patient has increased which is attributed to a substantially greater proportion of injuries related to falls in the elderly.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Institution for Clinical Sciences/Radiology, Lund University, Getingevägen 4, Lund, NA, 221 85, Sweden

    Pia C. Sundgren MD, PhD

  2. Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Suite 1080B Main Building 132 S. Tenth St, Philadelphia, PA, 19107-5244, USA

    Adam E. Flanders

Authors
  1. Pia C. Sundgren MD, PhD
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  2. Adam E. Flanders
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Correspondence to Pia C. Sundgren MD, PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. UniversitätsSpital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland

    Jürg Hodler

  2. Zürich, Switzerland

    Rahel A. Kubik-Huch

  3. Klinik/Poliklinik Nuklearmedizin, Zürich, Switzerland

    Gustav K. von Schulthess

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Sundgren, P.C., Flanders, A.E. (2016). Spinal Trauma and Spinal Cord Injury. In: Hodler, J., Kubik-Huch, R., von Schulthess, G. (eds) Diseases of the Brain, Head and Neck, Spine 2016-2019. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30081-8_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30081-8_21

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-30080-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-30081-8

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