A SCI is a lesion of the spinal cord that results in paralysis of certain areas of the body, along with the corresponding loss of sensation. It is the partial or complete loss of function, especially when involving the motion or sensation in a part of the body.

I'm a C/3-C/4 quadriplegic. What is a quadriplegic? Good question...A quadriplegic generally refers to someone who is paralyzed from approximately the shoulders down. There are people who are paraplegic. What is a paraplegic? A paraplegic generally refers to someone who is paralyzed from approximately the waist down.

Most spinal cord injuries result in loss of sensation and function below the level of injury, including loss of controlled function of the bladder and bowel.

Until the most recent figures were released by NSCIA (August, 1995) these were considered as the major causes of spinal cord injuries.

Previous To 1995:
Motor vehicles 48%
Falls 21%
Sports 14% (66% of which are caused in diving accidents)
Violence 15%
Other 2%

Although there is more information available about people who have a spinal cord injury than ever before, much of it is incomplete. Some of the statistical data is summarized below. There is very little information about disease-induced spinal cord injury, except brief descriptions of the diseases. The following information relates to traumatic spinal cord injury. It was compiled primarily by researchers at the University of Alabama using data from the regional SCI Centers funded by NIDRR. For more information on spinal cord injury statistics call 205-934-3320--the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, Birmingham, Alabama.

I will be adding more about SCIs soon.