Medical and Functional Sequelae of Spinal Cord Injury Caused by Violence: Findings from the Model Systems

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Abstract
In the past two decades, there has been a significant shift in the etiology of spinal cord injury (SCI) in the United States, with a marked increase in the percentage of persons injured as a result of violence. This study used data from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research-funded SCI model systems to compare medical and functional sequelae between SCI patients with violence-related injury (VRI) and those with non-violence-related injury (NVRI). Data for persons injured during the years 1990 through 1996 and for whom first- and second-year follow-up information was available were included. VRI patients were younger, more often white-Hispanic or African American, and male, with a limited education and unemployed at injury; 92% were injured as a result of gunshot wounds. VRI patients more often had complete injury and paraplegia and a higher mean Functional Independence Measure motor score at rehabilitation discharge. During rehabilitation and the first two follow-up years, deep v...

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