[Spinal cord injuries resulting from diving accidents in the Canary Islands].
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.


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.
Unidad de Lesionados Medulares, Servicio de Rehabilitación, Hospital Universitario Insular de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España. Electronic address: ebb31604@hotmail.com.
Enrique
E
Bárbara-Bataller
Unidad de Lesionados Medulares, Servicio de Rehabilitación, Hospital Universitario Insular de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España.
José Luis
JL
Méndez-Suárez
Unidad de Lesionados Medulares, Servicio de Rehabilitación, Hospital Universitario Insular de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España.
Carolina
C
Alemán-Sánchez
Unidad de Lesionados Medulares, Servicio de Rehabilitación, Hospital Universitario Insular de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España.
Jesús
J
Sánchez-Enríquez
Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias, Grupo de Investigación en Osteoporosis y Metabolismo Mineral, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España.
Manuel
M
Sosa-Henríquez
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery; D019468:Disease Management; D004242:Diving / Q000293:injuries*; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000379:methods; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007103:Immobilization / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult
Cervical trauma; Diving accident; Fractura vertebral; Lesión medular; Prevención; Prevention; Spinal cord injury; Spinal fracture; Trauma cervical; Zambullida