Injuries

Spinal Cord Injuries

Nearly 200,000 people in the United States live with a disability related to a spinal cord injury.

• Approximately 11,000 Americans are hospitalized for a spinal cord injury each year.
• The leading causes of spinal cord injuries vary by age. Among persons under age 65, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause. Among persons over 65, falls cause the most spinal cord injuries.
• More than half the people who sustain spinal cord injuries are between 16 and 30 years old.

Safety Links On This Topic

Sources: The safety tips in this section were compiled from the following great internet resources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/)