The spinal cord consists of millions of nerve fibers that conduct messages between the brain and the body that allow us to breathe, feel, move and walk. A spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when trauma or disease damages the spinal cord and results in partial or complete paralysis.

What is paraplegia and tetraplegia (quadriplegia)?

The level of paralysis is determined by where the damage occurs in the neck or back. Paraplegia is the complete or partial loss of sensation and movement in legs and in part or all of the trunk, usually resulting from damage to the spinal cord in the lower back. Tegraplegia, or quadriplegia, is complete or partial paralysis of all four limbs (from the neck down) resulting from injury to the neck.

The severity of the paralysis is determined by the extent of damage to the spinal cord at any particular level. Generally, the injury is considered to be complete if there is complete loss of voluntary movement and sensation below the level of the injury; otherwise, the injury is considered to be incomplete.

Typical categories of SCI

• Traumatic injury resulting from physical trauma to the spinal cord, caused by motor vehicle crashes, falls, sports injuries, or other incidents.
• Acquired diseases that can cause tumors or cysts on the spine, or viral or bacterial infections (including polio). Other diseases such as multiple sclerosis can, in some cases, deteriorate to the point of causing lesions on the spinal cord that can result in paralysis.
• Congenital disorders, such as spina bifida, where the spinal cord is malformed or exposed at birth.

Is there a cure for SCI?

Damage to the spinal cord due to an injury can be permanent and a cure remains elusive. However, new research proves that spinal cord repair and regeneration is possible. More and more researchers around the world believe that a cure for paralysis is possible. Meanwhile, improvements in rehabilitation medicine continue to minimize disability after SCI. In addition, new breakthroughs and discoveries are helping people to better manage quality of life issues associated with spinal cord injury, such as chronic pain, bladder, bowel, pressure ulcers, sexual dysfunction, and increased susceptibility to respiratory problems. Even modest improvements in functional ability and reduced secondary complications can make huge quality of life differences for many people with SCI.

Facts about SCI

• More than 41,000 Canadians live with SCI, and 1,200 new injuries occur each year.
• 84% of injuries occur to people under the age of 34.
• The most common causes of SCI in Canada are motor vehicles collisions (55%), other medical conditions and sports injuries (27%), and falls (18%).
• The unemployment rate for people with SCI is 62%.
• The cost to the Canadian health system is between $1.25 million and $25 million, during the lifetime of each injured person, depending on the severity of the injury.
• Annual health care costs to the Canadian Health Care system for Canadians with SCI are $750 million.
• It's estimated that 90% of what we know about spinal cord injury has been discovered in the last 20 years.

More Information

The following links provide starting points for your search for additional information on various aspects of SCI from a Canadian perspective. Many more international resources can be found using any search engine. The Rick Hansen Institute provides this information as a service to those who visit our site. The inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by the Rick Hansen Institute of that website or the information and services provided.

SCI Treatment, Rehabilitation

• Canadian Paraplegic Association
• GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre

Sport and Recreation

• Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association
• Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association
• Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing

Research

• ICORD (International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries)
• Rick Hansen SCI Registry
• Brain Research Centre, UBC
• Canadian Institute of Health Research
• Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation
• Research Canada