Epidemiology of spinal cord injuries in three selected counties in Kenya.
George M Muli, Veronica Ntsiea, Natalie Benjamin-Damons and 1 others
PMID 39968026WHAT IT FOUND
In three Kenyan counties, spinal cord injuries mostly affected men aged 26 to 35.
Motor vehicle accidents and falls caused nearly nine in ten injuries. Cervical lesions were most common, and neuropathic pain was the leading complication.
Key findings
01Motor traffic accidents (45.07%) and falls from height (42.25%) were the two dominant causes of spinal cord injury, accounting for the vast majority of cases.
02Cervical lesions were the most frequent injury location (46.01%), followed by lumbar (19.72%) and lower thoracic (18.78%).
03Neuropathic pain was the most common complication (42.25%), followed by autonomic dysreflexia (22.06%) and spasticity (14.08%).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was retrospective and relied on existing hospital records, which may contain missing or inconsistent data. Sample size (213) was smaller than the calculated target (290) because two hospitals lacked digital records, potentially biasing the sample toward facilities with better documentation. Findings are specific to three counties in Kenya and may not generalize to other regions or healthcare systems. The exclusion of patients with secondary conditions like head injuries limits applicability to complex trauma cases.
Declared interests
No funding was received, and no conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these findings apply to high-income countries or different patient demographics. The study reflects a specific population of young men with lower education levels in Kenya, where causes like road traffic accidents and falls from height dominate.