Spinal cord injuries caused by missile weapons in the Croatian war.

During the 32-month war in East Croatia, in the Clinical Hospital of Osijek, 4805 casualties of war were treated, with 3568 treated for wounds inflicted by firearms. Within this period, 32 wounded were treated in the Division of Neurosurgery for spine injuries caused by firearms (0.9%), of which 20 had neurologic deficits (0.55%). Only one wounded died. The neurologic hospitalization and rehabilitation lasted an average of 5.5 months. Forty percent of these wounded remained severe invalids: 1 with tetraplegia and 7 with paraplegia. Only one (5%) is without neurologic deficit, and 10 patients have permanent neurologic deficit, but they are mobile and self-reliant.