According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center of Birmingham, Alabama, about 12,000 new cases of spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are reported in the United States each year. At any given time, roughly 265,000 Americans are struggling to live their lives around these injuries. (Estimates actually run between 232,000 afflicted individuals to about 316,000).

Gender and Age of the Most Commonly Afflicted

The average age of those afflicted with a spinal cord injury is slowly shifting upwards. During the 1970s, most of those who suffered an SCI were males between the ages of 16 and 30, with the average age being 28.7 years. As of 2005, the average age of injury reached 40.7 years. Many reasons have been put forth to explain this shift, including the fact that the median age of Americans has increased by nine years since the 1970s. However, various other factors may also be involved.

Males continue to incur more SCIs than females. In fact, 80.7% of spinal cord injuries occur among males. While this disparity between the sexes may be partially attributed to greater risk-taking propensities among males, men continue to hold down a higher percentage of the most physically dangerous jobs.

Injuries Based on Race and Ethnicity

Although Caucasians have long suffered the most spinal cord injuries (about 76.8% of the total reported back during the 1970s), that number has shifted significantly since about 2005. Today, Caucasians incur about 66.5% of all SCIs.

The number of African-Americans battling spinal cord injuries has also shifted during recent decades. Back in the 1970s, about 14.2% of all of SCIs were incurred by this ethnic group. Today, African-Americans make up about 26.8% of those suffering from SCIs.

Both Hispanics and Asians have also seen increases in their ethnic groups’ overall percentage of newly reported SCI cases. During the 1970s, about 5.9% of all SCIs were incurred by Hispanics. Since 2005, that same group has suffered about 8.3% of all annually reported new spinal cord injuries.

Interestingly enough, perhaps partially due to the types of jobs they often hold down, the Asian population continues to incur far fewer SCIs than the other relatively large ethnic groups. During the 1970s, Asians tended to account for 0.9% of those incurring new SCI injuries; since 2005, they only incur about 2.0% of these injuries.

Major Sources of SCI Injuries: Auto Accidents, Falls, Violence and Sports

Since 2005, auto accidents have caused about 40.4% of all reported spinal cord injuries. A surprisingly high number of SCIs, 27.9%, are the result of falls. Violent acts, usually involving gunshots, have accounted for another 15% of all annually reported SCI injuries since 2005.

Considering how active many younger Americans are in sports, it’s a bit odd to learn that only 8% of all SCIs are attributable to sports injuries. Interestingly enough, SCI-related sports injuries have declined while fall injuries have actually increased during recent years. The increasing median age of Americans may be playing a distinct role in that statistical shift.

Immediate Residence Following SCI Injuries

At present, about 89.8% of those who live through their SCI injuries are discharged to their private homes after being treated in medical facilities. Only 6.2% of all new SCI patients are forced to move into nursing homes to obtain long-term skilled nursing care.

Overall SCI Costs to Individuals and Society

It is difficult to quote an average annual cost for patients to live with spinal cord injuries since the severity of these injuries varies so widely. However, the nation’s economy obviously suffers significant losses when numerous workers become profoundly disabled.  Yet the greatest losses of all are those that must be shouldered by the SCI patients themselves and their families. (Readers still interested in reviewing estimates for annual healthcare costs for those living with various types of SCIs can search for the heading “Lifetime Costs” upon visiting the following link: http://www.fscip.org/facts.htm )

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Demas Law Group remains one of Sacramento’s most highly respected and accomplished personal injury law firms. We’ve been successfully representing clients for almost twenty years. Every Demas Law Group attorney takes great pride in obtaining the full compensation and complete justice owed to every client.