Falls resulting in spinal cord injury: patterns and outcomes in an older population.

Falls are the major cause of spinal cord injuries in older people. The pattern of injury seen most frequently is that of a central cord syndrome due to cervical hyperextension. The medical records of 58 patients over 50 years of age who sustained a spinal cord injury in a fall were reviewed for circumstances of onset, length of stay and outcomes of rehabilitation. The study identified elderly single or widowed men, and those who use alcohol, as high risk groups.