title: Spinal cord injury medicine. 1. Epidemiology and classification.
abstract: This self-directed learning module reviews the demographics of traumatic and nontraumatic spinal cord injuries (SCIs). It is part of the study guide on SCI medicine in the Self-Directed Physiatric Educational Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation. This article specifically focuses on the changing demographics of traumatic SCI, the classification of SCI, the common causes of nontraumatic SCI, and the incidence and prevalence of myelomeningocele.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To summarize the demographics and classification of traumatic and nontraumatic spinal cord injuries in adults and children.
authors.affiliation: Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. chester.ho@va.gov <chester.ho@va.gov>
authors.forename: Chester H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Lisa-Ann
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Wuermser
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Priebe
authors.forename: Anthony E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Chiodo
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Scelza
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kirshblum
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D006801:Humans; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000145:classification* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000150:complications; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae