Objective:

To describe the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI) who attended rehabilitation in a public hospital in the province of Mendoza.

Materials and method:

An observational, descriptive, retrospective, and cross-sectional study was conducted on 33 subjects, aged over 18 years, diagnosed with spinal cord injury who attended in José Néstor Lencinas Hospital of Mendoza, Argentina, between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2020. Sociodemographic, injury, and outcome variables were collected.

Results:

Of the total sample, 74.4% were male. The median age was 37 ± 15 years. According to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scale, 51.6% of the subjects had A level. The most frequent injury etiology was traumatic. The most frequent topographic level of injury was the lower thoracic spine, followed by the lumbar spine. At discharge, 45.2% of the subjects used a wheelchair. Eighty percent of the subjects had an occupation before the injury, and the percentage decreased to 46% at discharge.

Conclusion:

SCI was more frequent in men aged 37 ± 15 years. Lower thoracic spine injuries caused by automobile accidents and firearm wounds were the most prevalent.

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