Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes devastating paralysis, loss of sensation, and loss of other bodily functions below the level of the injury. Most injuries in people are at the cervical level (broken neck), causing paralysis of arms and legs (quadriplegia or tetraplegia) and if at the high cervical level, also paralyze the ability to breath independently. Injuries to the part of the spine below the shoulders (thoracic-lumbar levels) cause paralysis of the legs. Injuries at any level also disrupt other bodily functions including bladder, bowel and sexual function.
Spinal Cord Injuries
| Geographic Area | New Cases Annually | Chronic Cases | Total Population | Estimated Total Cases | Source of Information |
| U.S.A. | 78,000 | 1,462,725 | 318,900,000 | 1,540,725 | Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation |
| Canada | 8,614 | 161,033 | 35,160,000 | 169,647 | Numbers inferred based on American data |
| Western Europe | 97,225 | 1,820,552 | 397,500,000 | 1,917,777 | Numbers inferred based on American data |
| Total: | 183,839 | 3,444,310 | 751,560,000 | 3,628,149 |
Patient Resources
Christopher Reeve Foundation christopherreeve.org
NIH ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Spinal-Cord-Injury-Information-Page
Travis Roy Foundation travisroyfoundation.org
Unite 2 Fight Paralysis u2fp.org