Fractures and musculoskeletal ailments in persons 20+ years after a traumatic spinal cord injury in Norway.

Study design: Cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To gain insights into fracture rate and musculoskeletal ailments among Norwegians with a spinal cord injury (SCI) acquired more than 20 years ago.

Settings: Sunnaas Hospital, Nesoddtangen, Norway.

Methods: 165 persons with SCI were interviewed in 2004-2005 by questionnaires and clinical examination. Descriptive statistics and a logistic regression analysis were performed to identify variables associated with bone fractures and musculoskeletal ailments.

Results: Around half of the participants experienced a fracture after injury and excessive use of alcohol increased the odds (OR 0.09; CI 0.01-0.74) of suffering a post-injury fracture ( p  = 0.03). Sixty percent experienced shoulder ailments after the SCI and the use of orthosis to the knee and hip increased the odds (OR 4.4; CI 1.4-13) of experiencing shoulder ailment ( p  = 0.01).

Conclusion: Around half of the 165 participants reported to have suffered a fracture and over 100 to experience musculoskeletal ailment 20 years after injury. We suggest that prevention strategies and symptom management must be embedded in follow-up visits after SCI.