[Epidemiology of traumatic spinal cord injury in Gran Canaria]. / Epidemiología de la lesión medular de origen traumático en Gran Canaria.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the epidemiological and clinical trends in acute traumatic spinal cord injuries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted of traumatic spinal cord injury patients in Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) from 2000 to 2014. Demographic and spinal injury severity trends were analysed by year of injury grouped into 3 periods: 2000-2005, 2006-2010, and 2011-2014. RESULTS: The sample included 141 patients. The mean incidence for the entire period was 12 cases/million/year. There was a decrease in cases in the second and third period. While the male/female ratio was 3.8/1 and was maintained in all periods, the mean patient age increased from 38.8 in 2000-5 to 54.5 years in 2011-4 (P<.05). Falls have been the leading cause of spinal cord injury (48.2%), followed by traffic accidents (37.6%). Falls have increased, especially in the older population. Incomplete tetraplegia has been the most prevalent group (30.5%). A vertebral fracture was suffered by 70.3% of all patients, with 93.2% of them requiring surgery. CONCLUSIONS: There has been a decrease in the incidence of traumatic spinal cord injury in recent years. The target population has changed, and the older population is currently the most affected. This reality suggests the need to change the local prevention campaigns for spinal cord injury in the elderly.

[Spinal cord injuries resulting from diving accidents in the Canary Islands]. / Lesión medular secundaria a zambullida en Canarias.

OBJECTIVE: Diving accidents is one of the leading causes of spinal cord injury after falls and car accidents. The objective of this study was to determine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of these patients in our setting to better prevent these injuries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective, descriptive study of patients who have suffered from a traumatic spinal cord injury after a diving accident in the Canary Islands, Spain from 2000 to 2014. These patients were admitted to the Spinal Cord Unit of Hospital Universitario Insular de Gran Canaria. RESULTS: Of the 264 patients admitted to our unit for acute traumatic spinal cord injury, 23 (8.7%) cases were due to diving. Grouping the patients into 5years periods, 56% of the injuries occurred in 2000-2005, 17% in 2006-2010 and 26% in 2011-2014. All patients were male, with a mean age of 29years. Approximately 65% were under 30years. A total of 22/23 patients had a fracture and injury most commonly occurred to the C5 vertebra. Burst fractures were the most common. A total of 86% of cases underwent surgery. All the spinal cord injuries were cervical, with C6 being the neurological level most often affected. A total of 65% of spinal cord injuries were complete injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Spinal cord injury secondary to diving accidents is the third leading cause of traumatic spinal cord injury in our setting. It affects young males and the most common clinical presentation is a complete cervical spinal cord injury. Given the irreversible nature of the injury, prevention, aimed mainly at young people, is of great importance.

International Spinal Cord Injury Community Survey: Socioeconomic and Healthcare Satisfaction in Spain.

STUDY DESIGN: Survey study. OBJECTIVES: People living with spinal cord injury (SCI) are major healthcare and rehabilitation services consumers and have unmet healthcare needs. This study aimed to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of people living with SCI in Spain and to determine the level of use and satisfaction with the public healthcare system. METHODS: We conducted a survey (the Spanish version of the International Spinal Cord Injury Community Survey) consisting of 134 questions. We analyzed the age, sex, neurological classification of the injury on the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale, time of injury, socio-occupational and socioeconomic status, and level of use and satisfaction with the public health system. RESULTS: 472 people responded to the survey [68.9% male; mean age 51.2 years (standard deviation: 13.9 years); 61.7% with paraplegia and 38.3% with tetraplegia]. 89.2% of those surveyed were unemployed and 77.1% received a disability pension. The number of medical visits was 2.3/year, and 19.8% of the patients required at least 1 hospital admission during the previous year. 94.7% of the people with SCI considered the health care received as good or very good. CONCLUSIONS: Respondents with SCI in Spain considered they had good access to primary and specialized care and were satisfied with the healthcare system. Notably, we observed a high average of annual visits to medical professionals but a low rate of hospitalizations. Technical aids and state services related to disability should be the most important elements to be improved.

[How does the new spinal-cord-injured patient profile influence bladder management?] / ¿Cómo afecta el nuevo perfil del lesionado medular al manejo vesical?

OBJECTIVES: To describe the bladder management in spinal cord injury and to verify if the increase in the age of the patient who is suffering a spinal cord injury in recent years is conditioning a change in its treatment. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of all acute traumatic spinal cord injured patients in Canary Islands between 2001-2015. Data were collected from the hospital records of a regional referral Spinal Cord Unit. RESULTS: The sample included 250 patients. Patients' mean age was observed to increase from 38 to 47 years during the study (p<0.05). Clean Intermittent Catheterization (CIC) was the most used bladder emptying method (42.4%), followed by normal voiding (NV) (26.4%) and permanent derivation (PD) (23.6%). There was a decrease in CIC use (48.1% to 40.3%) and an increase in PD use (13.5% to 32.5%) ( p<0.05 ). Cervical injuries were associated with NV (35.8%), while thoracic and lumbar injuries were associated with IC (67% and 41.7% respectively). Patients discharged to a health care residence were associated with IC (81.8%) (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CIC is currently the most frequently used bladder emptying method in spinal cord injured patients in our population. The mean age of new spinal cord injury patients is progressively increasing and it promotes the use of indwelling catheter with an increased risk of urologic complications.

OBJETIVOS: Describir el manejo vesical en pacientes con una lesión medular y comprobar si el aumento de la edad media del paciente que está sufriendo una lesión medular en los últimos años está condicionando un cambio en su tratamiento.MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Hemos realizado un estudio retrospectivo de todos los pacientes que han sufrido una lesión medular traumática aguda en Canarias entre el 2001-2015. Los datos se han recogido del registro hospitalario de una unidad de referencia regional para la lesión medular. RESULTADOS: La muestra ha sido de 250 pacientes. La media de edad del paciente aumentó de 38 a 47 años a lo largo del estudio (p< 0,05). El cateterismo intermitente (CI) fue el método de vaciado vesical más usado (42,4%) seguido de la micción voluntaria (MV) (26,4%) y la derivación permanente (DP) (23,6%). Durante este tiempo hubo un descenso en el uso del CI (48,1% a 35,4%) y un aumento de la DP (13,5% a 32,5%) (p< 0,05). Las lesiones cervicales se relacionaron con la MV (35,8%) mientras que las lesiones dorsales y lumbares lo hicieron con el CI (67% y 41,7% respectivamente). El destino al alta a una residencia se asoció con la DP (81,8%) (p<0,05). CONCLUSIONES: El CI es actualmente el método de vaciado vesical más usado en el lesionado medular en nuestro medio. El aumento de la edad media del paciente que sufre una lesión medular está favoreciendo un progresivo incremento de la derivación permanente con el riesgo de complicaciones urológicas que puede ocasionar.

Change in the profile of traumatic spinal cord injury over 15 years in Spain.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic spinal cord injury remains a serious public health and social problem. Although incidence rates are decreasing in our environment, it is a high cost condition that is associated with great disability. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiological and demographic characteristics of traumatic spinal cord injury and to analyse its epidemiological changes. METHODS: This study was an observational study with prospective monitoring of all traumatic spinal cord injury patients in the Canary Islands, Spain (2.1 million inhabitants) between 2001 and 2015. RESULTS: Over the specified period of the study, 282 patients suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury. The crude incidence rate was 9.3 cases per million people/year. The patients' mean age increased from 38 years (2001-2005) to 48 years (2011-2015) (p < 0.05). Overall, 80.1% of patients were males. The trauma mechanisms of spinal cord injury were falls in 44%, traffic accidents in 36.5%, diving accidents in 8.9% and others in 10.7%. While traffic accidents decreased, falls increased, particularly in the elderly (p < 0.05). The most frequently affected level was the cervical spine (50.9%), and incomplete tetraplegia was the most prevalent group (29.8%). A total of 76.6% of all patients suffered a vertebral fracture, and 91.6% of these required surgery. Among 282 patients, 12.5% were transferred to residences. The patients transferred increased from 8.5% in the first period to 20.0% (p < 0.05) in the last period. Such cases were related to age, cervical level injuries and injuries associated with poor functionality (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The rise in the number of falls among the older population, as well as the reduction in traffic accidents, decreased the incidence of traumatic spinal cord injury in our environment. This change in the profile of new traumatic spinal cord injuries led us to reformulate the functional objectives planned for these patients upon admission to specialized units, to plan destination-upon-discharge in advance and to promote campaigns to prevent spinal cord injury in older adults.

Biceps to Triceps Transfer in Tetraplegic Patients: Our Experience and Review of the Literature.

Background: Management and indications for surgery in the tetraplegic patient are highly complex because of the substantial functional deficits that they present and their effect on their daily activity. Our purpose was to evaluate the functional outcome in tetraplegic patients who underwent biceps-to-triceps transfer surgery according to Zancolli's modified technique. Methods: This is a retrospective study of 6 biceps-to-triceps transfers using Zancolli's modified technique in 4 patients. Mean follow-up was 45 months. We evaluated each patient's DASH (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand) score before surgery and 12 months later. Results: In the 6 arms that underwent surgery, full and active elbow extension against gravity at 12 months after surgery was achieved. The mean DASH score was 73.2 preoperatively and 20.8 twelve months postoperatively. One complication occurred. One patient reported loss of elbow flexion preventing thigh lift for transfers. This was resolved with a program of rehabilitation and specific muscle strengthening Conclusions: Zancolli's modified technique is simple and effective, with few complications, whereby we can provide more autonomy for the tetraplegic patient.

Prevalencia de hipovitaminosis D e hiperparatiroidismo secundario en pacientes con lesiones de la médula espinal / Prevalence of hypovitaminosis D and secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with spinal cord injury

Prevalencia de hipovitaminosis D e hiperparatiroidismo secundario en pacientes con lesiones de la médula espinal...