According to the latest findings released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, young male motorcyclists fall in the ranks of Australians who suffer from spinal cord injuries.

In 2007 to 2008, a total of 362 cases of new spinal cord injuries were recorded, with most occurring during crashes or falls, while a total of 77 due to non-trauma causes such as infection, pressure of the spine from damage associated with osteoarthritis or cancerous growth.

Young male motorbike riders featured highly in the groups of motor vehicle crashes that were responsible for nearly fifty percent of the trauma-related injuries. The reports mentions, Fifty one percent of transport incidents were motor vehicle occupants while 49 percent were unprotected road users, predominantly motorcyclists.

Males of a younger age, with over half in the group of 15 to 34 years old made up the majority of unprotected road users. The youngest group was made up of motorcyclists of an average age of 32 years.

Spinal cord injuries were also caused by leisure activities such as trail biking, motocross racing, football, horse riding and bicycle riding. Other significant contributors to the injuries were, driving, surfing, swimming or jumping into bodies of water. Other causes come from colliding with another person or object or being struck.

The period of time spent recovering in hospitals for patients who suffered from spinal cord injury lasted beyond four months. The report noted that the overall rates and causes of spinal cord injuries, and the characteristics of the people affected remained generally the same as previous years.

Medicine