628
CHAPTER 38
by 1963 the number of ex-servicemen and pensioners had almost doubled (753) there
was a considerable increase of traumatic lesions amongst civilians (1,210) (Table 37).
Of particular interest is the increasing number of cervical injuries over the years. In
the statistic of 1953 there were 41 cervicals amongst a total of 458 cord injuries (8-7 per
cent). In a later statistic of our first 2,000 patients, published in 1962, the number of
cervical lesions was 207 (15 per cent) out of 1,349 spinal cord injuries. The percentage of
cervicals increased to 23-6 per cent amongst 1,963 traumatic lesions, as shown in Table 38.
This experience is in accordance with the experience of other Spinal Injuries Centres in
various countries.
The age of the patients at the time of injury varied from 6 to 80 years. However, the
age groups mainly involved were those between 16 and 35 years—i.e. well over 50 per
cent of the total.
TABLE 39. Aetiology of traumatic tetraplegia
Complete
Incomplete
Category
lesions
lesions
Total
totals
Road accidents
Motor vehicle
Motor cycle
Pedal cycle
Hit by vehicle
Industrial accidents
Fall
Hit by moving object
Caught in moving machinery or other object
Knife wound
Bomb blast
Gunshot wound
Sport
Diving
Struck by diver
Swimming other than diving
Water skiing
Football—Rugby
Football—Association
Riding
Climbing
Wrestling
Trampoline
Other (vaulting horse, etc.)
Aeroplane accidents
Fall
Miscellaneous
42
20
3
2
9
2
I
——
I
4
3i
—
i
I
3
i
i
—
i
5
i
21
3
92
21
2O
9
13
H
2
I
6
19
43
2
5—
3
3
2—
I
—
8
2
80
7
134
4i
23
ii
> 209
22
1
16
^41
3
J
i
i
7
7
23
23
74
2
6
i
6
L
3
r I][I
3
I
I
I
13
3
3
101
101
IO
10
Totals
153
353
506
506
