[Aging with spinal cord injury].
OBJECTIVE
Literature review of the data on aging with spinal cord injury.


METHODS
Interrogation on Medline using the following keywords: aging, spinal cord injuries, paraplegia, quadriplegia, mortality, morbidity, quality of life, survival, health status.


RESULTS
The expectation of life of the spinal cord injury patients improved even though it remains even lower than that of the general population. The effects of aging add to the specific complications which are numerous and alter almost every function. Respiratory complications became the first cause of death especially for tetraplegics. Urinary and cutaneous complications remain important as well as osteo-articular pathologies (particular upper limbs) whose consequences can be serious on the functional capacities. Studies on the quality of life show that adaptation to the handicap is done in a continuous way and a long time after the initial phase of rehabilitation. They underline the importance of professional resources, psychological reactions and previous experiences of the spinal cord injury patients in appreciating the quality of life after the traumatism.


CONCLUSIONS
The specificities of the aging of the spinal cord injury patients require to be well known and underline the importance and the necessity of an adequate and specific follow-up. On a more general plan, they imply a reflection on the strategies of initial rehabilitation, not to compromise the future of these spinal cord injury patients.
Beuret-Blanquart
F
F
Centre régional de médecine physique et de réadaptation, Les Herbiers, 76231 Bois-Guillaume, France. fbbeuret@aol.com
Boucand
M-H
MH
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D013534:Survival