Estimating the incidence and prevalence of traumatic spinal cord injury in Australia.

OBJECTIVES

To determine estimates of the incidence and prevalence of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) in Australia as of June 30, 2011.

DESIGN

Population modeling using cohort survival.

SETTING

Australia.

PARTICIPANTS

Hospital data regarding people with TSCI in Australia.

INTERVENTIONS: Modeling using the following data: 2 population-based databases of hospital separations of patients with TSCI, giving upper and lower estimates of incidence; national population profiles and life tables; levels of TSCI based on Australian Spinal Cord Injury Registry; and life expectancy for persons with spinal cord injury under 3 scenarios--1 constant and 2 with a trend standardized mortality ratio (SMR).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Age- and sex-specific incidence and prevalence estimates.

RESULTS

The lower estimate of incidence was 21.0 per million population per year, and the upper estimate was 32.3 per million population per year. The derived prevalence rates ranged from 490 per million population (10,944 persons--lower incidence, trend SMR with survival from 1948) up to 886 per million population (19,784 persons--higher incidence, constant SMR). The prevalence was highest in males, persons aged 46 to 60 years, and those with tetraplegia.

CONCLUSIONS

We have reported a method for calculating an estimate of the prevalence of TSCI which provides information that will be vital to optimize health care planning for this group of highly disabled members of society.