Current epidemiological profile and features of traumatic spinal cord injury in Heilongjiang province, Northeast China: implications for monitoring and control.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective hospital-based study.

OBJECTIVES: Traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) is considered to be an important public health problem worldwide. Only a few studies concerning the regional epidemiological characteristics of TSCI have been published in China. The purpose is to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of TSCI in Heilongjiang province in northeast China.

SETTING: The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University and the Fifth Hospital of Harbin City, Heilongjiang province.

METHODS: Information of 232 patients who suffered from TSCI was gathered from their charts between January 2009 and December 2013. Information on sociodemographic variables was collected from each chart, including the patient's age, sex, occupation, injury time, causes and extent of injury.

RESULTS: The average age of patients with TSCI was 45.35±14.35 years. The male/female ratio was 4:1. The incidence of TSCI increased gradually with age and peaked in the 46- to 60-year-old age category. The most common occupation was farm laborer (35.34%). Motor vehicle collisions, followed by falls, were found to be the leading cause of TSCI. Furthermore, the majority of TSCI patients (76.29%) suffered a cervical injury.

CONCLUSION: The present study reveals that TSCI is an issue in the province, and it should not be ignored. Our results provide preliminary evidence and theoretical basis for developing an integrated control program for TSCI.