The financial implications associated with living with spinal cord injury (SCI) can depend on the severity of the injury and also the age at which the injury occurs.
The figures below are taken from the free to download SCI Facts and Figures at a Glance factsheet published by the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center in 2015 using data gathered from 2010 to 2014.
Incomplete tetraplegia is currently the most frequent neurological category for spinal cord injury, followed by incomplete paraplegia, complete paraplegia, and complete tetraplegia.
Less than 1% of affected people experienced complete neurological recovery by the time they were discharged from hospital.
The average yearly expenses (health care costs and living expenses) and the estimated lifetime costs that are directly attributable to SCI vary
greatly based on education, neurological impairment, and pre-injury employment history.
These estimates do not include any indirect costs
such as losses in wages, fringe benefits, and productivity (indirect costs averaged $71,961 per year in 2014 dollars).
| Severity of Injury | First Year | Each Subsequent Year |
|---|---|---|
| High Tetraplegia (C1-C4) ASIS ABC | $1,064,716 | $184,891 |
| Low Tetraplegia (C5-C8) | $769,351 | $113,423 |
| Paraplegia | $518,904 | $68,739 |
| Incomplete motor function (any level) | $347,484 | $42,206 |
| Severity of Injury | 25 Years Old | 50 Years Old |
|---|---|---|
| High Tetraplegia (C1-C4) ASIS ABC | $4,724,181 | $2,596,329 |
| Low Tetraplegia (C5-C8) ASIS ABC | $3,451,781 | $2,123,154 |
| Paraplegia ASIS ABC | $2,310,104 | $1,516,052 |
| Incomplete motor function (any level) ASIS D | $1,578,274 | $1,113,990 |
For more statistics and information about spinal cord injury, download the free NSCISC SCI Facts and Figures at a Glance fact sheet.
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