ReviewInjury epidemiology2026
Epidemiological and etiological profile of spinal cord injury in Brazil: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Review in Injury epidemiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
objectivesSpinal Cord Injury (SCI) severely impacts quality of life, yet consistent epidemiological data in Brazil are scarce. This study aimed to delineate the etiological profile of SCI in the Brazilian population to support public health strategies.
designWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of proportions. Searches were performed in Medline, LILACS, and Embase. From the selected articles, 14 were included in the qualitative synthesis and 9 in the meta-analysis. The risk of bias was assessed using the JBI tool.
resultsThe meta-analysis with 8 studies revealed that the main etiologies of SCI were motor vehicle accidents (37.3%; 95% CI: 23.9-51.7), followed by falls (22.7%; 95% CI:16.2-29.9), violence including firearm injuries and physical assault (19.4%; 95% CI: 14.5-24.8), and diving into shallow water (10.9%; 95% CI: 5.1-18.3). Regarding the neurological level, the meta-analysis comprising 6 studies showed a pooled proportion of cervical injury of 37.4% (95% CI, 27.0-48.4). A male predominance was observed. We identified high heterogeneity (I² ranging from 76% to 95%) across all analyses, significant methodological weaknesses (e.g., hospital-based convenience samples), and evidence of publication bias for falls and violence.
conclusionsThe etiological profile of SCI in Brazil reveals motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause, followed by falls and violence; and the most commonly affected neurological level is the cervical region. However, high heterogeneity and the risk of bias in primary studies demand a cautious interpretation of these findings. There is an urgent need for methodologically robust population studies to discover reliable data that can assist in effective public policies for the prevention of spinal cord injuries.
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