The management of spinal injuries--past and present.

This review paper surveys historical aspects and then proceeds to examine major considerations in the management of spinal injuries. These include neurological sequelae, functional disabilities and expectations, pathology, spinal cord injury in children, management complications (genitourinary, bone, neurological, skin respiratory, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal), and social aspects. The paper concludes by highlighting the need for comprehensive spinal injury services, noting the bleak future for a reduction in incidence, and emphasizing the goal of care in the community at large, not just in hospital.