What Causes Spinal Cord Injuries?
The causes of spinal cord injury can be put into two groups: traumatic and non-traumatic. The most common cause of traumatic injury in the United States is motor vehicle accidents (MVA’s). MVA’s account for 44% of all spinal cord injuries. Examples of injuries that occur to the spinal cord as the result of trauma include: • Ischemia: decreased blood flow to the spinal cord • Contusion: bruising of the spinal cord • Fractures: broken bones (vertebrae) • Dislocation: displaced or misaligned vertebrae Non-traumatic injuries are caused by diseases that affect the bones, nerves, or spinal cord.
