What is the most common cause of spinal cord injuries?

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Multiple Choice

What is the most common cause of spinal cord injuries?

The main idea is that spinal cord injuries most often come from traumatic events that deliver high energy to the spine. The leading mechanisms are motor vehicle crashes and falls, because these events generate large forces on the spine—rapid deceleration, impact, or a fall that causes vertebral fracture or dislocation and, in turn, damage the spinal cord. Sports injuries and industrial accidents can cause SCI, but they occur less frequently than crashes and falls. Penetrating trauma also causes SCI, but it is not the most common mechanism in the general population. So, the combination of motor vehicle crashes and falls accounts for the largest share of spinal cord injuries, making it the best answer.

The main idea is that spinal cord injuries most often come from traumatic events that deliver high energy to the spine. The leading mechanisms are motor vehicle crashes and falls, because these events generate large forces on the spine—rapid deceleration, impact, or a fall that causes vertebral fracture or dislocation and, in turn, damage the spinal cord. Sports injuries and industrial accidents can cause SCI, but they occur less frequently than crashes and falls. Penetrating trauma also causes SCI, but it is not the most common mechanism in the general population. So, the combination of motor vehicle crashes and falls accounts for the largest share of spinal cord injuries, making it the best answer.

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