INTRODUCTION: Spinal cord injury is one of the most tragic disabilities, because of its sequelae. Incidence ranges between 9 and 53 cases per million inhabitants. Injuries due to non-traumatic causes account for a significant number of cases but they have not been studied in depth. Our objective was to conduct a descriptive study of osteoarticular-type non-traumatic spinal cord injuries in our centre. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We carried out a retrospective study of the medical records of patients referred to our centre because of non-traumatic, degenerative spinal cord injury between 1998 and 2002. We evaluated age, sex, neurological injury classification according to the ASIA (American Spinal Injury Association) on admission and on discharge, complete (motor and sensory) or incomplete involvement, level of the injury and how it was caused. RESULTS: We found 365 records of patients with non-traumatic spinal injuries, 45 (12.3%) of which were osteoarticular-type injuries. The age group and most frequent cause were 56-69 years and canal stenosis, respectively. There was seen to be a predominance of males and incomplete injury. The neurological level that was most affected was the cervical spine. CONCLUSIONS: In our centre, the majority of cases of non-traumatic spinal cord injury due to osteoarticular causes are produced by canal stenosis, with a greater incidence in the cervical spine. It is more often observed in 56 to 69-year-old males and usually involves incomplete injuries. Such data match those obtained by other authors.
INTRODUCTION:Spinal cord injury is one of the most tragic disabilities, because of its sequelae. Incidence ranges between 9 and 53 cases per million inhabitants. Injuries due to non-traumatic causes account for a significant number of cases but they have not been studied in depth. Our objective was to conduct a descriptive study of osteoarticular-type non-traumatic spinal cord injuries in our centre. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We carried out a retrospective study of the medical records of patients referred to our centre because of non-traumatic, degenerative spinal cord injury between 1998 and 2002. We evaluated age, sex, neurological injury classification according to the ASIA (American Spinal Injury Association) on admission and on discharge, complete (motor and sensory) or incomplete involvement, level of the injury and how it was caused. RESULTS: We found 365 records of patients with non-traumatic spinal injuries, 45 (12.3%) of which were osteoarticular-type injuries. The age group and most frequent cause were 56-69 years and canal stenosis, respectively. There was seen to be a predominance of males and incomplete injury. The neurological level that was most affected was the cervical spine. CONCLUSIONS: In our centre, the majority of cases of non-traumatic spinal cord injury due to osteoarticular causes are produced by canal stenosis, with a greater incidence in the cervical spine. It is more often observed in 56 to 69-year-old males and usually involves incomplete injuries. Such data match those obtained by other authors.