2011 Spinal Cord Injury Facts and Statistics:

1) Definition of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury:

A Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is any injury to the spinal cord via blunt or penetrating trauma that manifests as variable loss of neurological functions (motor, sensory & autonomic / bowel, bladder and sexual dysfunction) depending on the level and completeness of injury.

2) The number of preprted complete SCI and incomplete SCI:
From 1996 to 2011, individuals with incomplete tetraplegia increased and complete paraplegia/tetraplegia decreased a small amount.

3) The percentage of spinal cord injury based on level of injury (since 2005) are as follows:
40% incomplete tetraplegia
22% complete paraplegia
22% incomplete paraplegia
16% complete tetraplegia

4) Residence after a spinal cord injury:
Nearly 90% of everyone living with a SCI are sent to a private, noninstitutional residence. Roughly 10% of idividuals living with a SCI are are discharged to a nursing home, hospitals, group living situation or other 
destinations.

5) Occupational status after a spinal cord injury:
Roughly 12% in a model system (as in Illinois) and employed 1-year after their SCI occurrence. 20-years later, 35% were employed.

6) Marital status a spinal cord injury:
51% of living SCI individuals are single.

7) Average age of individal sustaining a SCI – is almost 29 years old.

Cullotta Law Offices (Glenview, IL) is an experiences northeast Illinois Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) lawyer near Chicago, Illinois and representing clients with spine/spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury (TBI) throughout Illinois since 2006. If you have suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury in IL, call Josephine Cullotta at 847-651-7191 to set up a free spinal cord law consultation.