Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is defined as damage to the spinal cord, or the bundle of nerves that sends and receives signals from the brain to the body. SCI is caused by direct injury to the spinal cord from an object or force impacting the tissue or from damage to the vertebrae (bones) and tissue that surround the fragile spinal cord tissue to impact it. Damage to the spinal cord can result in temporary or lasting complications, with some individuals experiencing life-long effects from the injury. SCI is often described in terms of the level and degree of the injury.
Injury in the cervical regions (near the head and neck) can cause paralysis in most of the body and affect movement and sensation in arms and legs (tetraplegia). Injury in the thoracic and lumbar regions (trunk) will typically affect motor and sensory function in the trunk, lower body, and legs (paraplegia). In addition to motor and sensory impairments, individuals with SCI often experience spasticity, pain, difficulty with breathing, loss of bladder and bowel control, and changes in sexual function. Autonomic dysreflexia is a complication with SCI that can be life-threatening.
SCI is also a major health concern. The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center estimates that nearly 300,000 persons live in the United States with SCI and that there are approximately 17,800 new cases of SCI each year. Many in the SCI community posit that these estimates are too low and that the prevalence of paralysis in the U.S. is likely up to 40% higher (Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation).
Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of SCI, followed by falls, and acts of violence (primarily gunshot wounds). Also, sports/recreation injuries cause about 8% of SCI annually.
The estimated lifetime costs of health care and living expenses (direct costs) for an individual living with SCI varies by injury level. For example, a 25-year-old individual with tetraplegia could be faced with $3-5 million in estimated lifetime costs. While a 25-year-old individual with paraplegia could have approximately $2.5 million in estimated lifetime costs.
Unfortunately, there is only one FDA-approved therapeutic intervention to improve function after SCI and the efficacy of this treatment is questionable (see Bracken, 2012). Thus, there remains an unmet need to develop effective treatments to restore function after SCI to relieve this significant public health burden.