Transport-related injuries and falls accounted for over
three-quarters of all cases of traumatic spinal cord injury in
Australia in 2005-06, according to a new report released today by
the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The report, Spinal Cord Injury, Australia 2005-06,
presents national statistics on 374 cases of persisting spinal cord
injury (SCI), 284 of which were due to traumatic causes and 90 of
which were due to disease.
Dr Raymond Cripps of the AIHW's National Injury Surveillance
Unit said that although spinal cord injury is uncommon, the
personal and health system costs are high.
'An indication of this is that the median duration of initial
care following spinal cord injury in 2005-06 was almost 7 months,'
Dr Cripps said.
The report shows that 106 of the SCI cases were caused by traffic
accidents - 63 of these were vehicle occupants and 43 were
unprotected road users, predominantly motorcyclists.
'All 26 motorcyclist cases in 2005-06 were in the 15-44 age
bracket,' Dr Cripps said.
Falls led to 95 cases of persisting spinal cord injury. About
two-thirds of these were falls from a height of 1 metre or higher,
and largely involved males aged 15-64 years who were doing either
paid or unpaid work.
Level falls or falls from less than 1 metre led to spinal cord
injury in 35 cases and close to half of these involved people aged
65 years and over.
Water-related accidents accounted for just 9% of cases, but the
majority (80%) of these were severe, and most involved people under
the age of 35.
Overall, male rates of persisting SCI from traumatic causes were
higher than female rates at all ages except among people aged 65
years and over.
Western Australian rates were significantly higher than the
national incident rate and Victorian rates significantly lower.
Spinal Cord Injury, Australia 2005-06 is the 11th statistical
report based on case registration data holdings of the Australian
Spinal Cord Injury Register established and operated by the AIHW
National Injury Surveillance Unit in collaboration with State
spinal units.
14 November 2007
Further information: Further information: Dr
Raymond Cripps, AIHW, tel. 08 8201 7602.
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for the availability of Spinal Cord Injury,
Australia 2005-06.