Paraplegia and Quadriplegia: Spinal Cord Injury Facts
Author: Ian C. Langtree - View Credentials
Published: 17 May 2013 - Updated: 8 Nov 2026
Publication Type: Informative
Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content
Synopsis
This information sets out the latest U.S. facts and figures on paraplegia and quadriplegia from the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, which tracks people treated in the federally funded Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems. About 18,500 Americans have a new traumatic spinal cord injury each year and roughly 311,560 are living with one. Vehicle crashes and falls cause most injuries, the average age at injury has risen to 44, and incomplete tetraplegia is now the most common outcome. The page also covers hospital and rehabilitation stays, employment and education after injury, lifetime costs by injury level and life expectancy. It is useful for people with spinal cord injuries, families, caregivers, rehabilitation staff and students who need current, sourced numbers rather than figures from older fact sheets.
At a Glance
- 1 - Fewer than 1 percent of people fully recover by hospital discharge.
- 2 - About 29 percent of people are readmitted to hospital in any given year after injury.
- 3 - Only 17.8 percent of people are working one year after injury, compared with 64.5 percent at the time of injury.
- 4 - First-year costs for high tetraplegia average more than $1.4 million in 2025 dollars, before lost wages are counted.
Topic Definition
- Paraplegia and Quadriplegia
Paraplegia is paralysis of the legs and all or part of the trunk, usually caused by damage to the spinal cord below the neck, while quadriplegia, also called tetraplegia, is paralysis that also affects the arms and hands because the damage is in the cervical spinal cord. Either can be complete, with no feeling or movement below the injury, or incomplete, with some function remaining. The level and completeness of the injury, graded on the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale, largely decide how much independence a person has and what support they need.
Overview
Paraplegia is paralysis that affects the legs and all or part of the trunk, while the arms keep their function. It usually follows an injury to the spinal cord in the thoracic, lumbar or sacral regions. Quadriplegia, also called tetraplegia, follows an injury in the neck (cervical) region and affects the arms and hands as well as the trunk and legs.
An injury is called complete when there is no feeling or movement below the level of injury, and incomplete when some sensation or movement remains. Doctors grade severity with the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS), from A (complete) to E (normal).
How Many People Have a Spinal Cord Injury
The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) estimates that about 54 people per million in the United States have a traumatic spinal cord injury each year, or about 18,482 new cases a year. This figure does not include people who die at the scene. About 311,560 people are living with a traumatic spinal cord injury in the United States, within an estimated range of 261,168 to 399,079 [National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, 2026].
Who Is Injured
- Average age at injury: 44.3 years for injuries since 2015, up from 29 years in the 1970s.
- Sex: about 78 percent of new injuries since 2015 are in males.
- Race and ethnicity since 2015: non-Hispanic White 55.7 percent, non-Hispanic Black 24.4 percent, Hispanic 14.7 percent, Asian 2.8 percent, Native American 0.6 percent and other 1.9 percent. Black Americans make up about 12 percent of the population but about 24 percent of recent injuries.
Causes of Paraplegia and Quadriplegia
Vehicle crashes and falls cause almost 70 percent of recent injuries [National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, 2026]:
- Vehicle crashes: 37.1 percent
- Falls: 32.5 percent
- Violence, mostly gunshot wounds: 15.2 percent
- Sports and recreation: 7.6 percent
- Medical or surgical complications: 3.8 percent
- Other: 3.9 percent
Level and Extent of Injury
Incomplete tetraplegia is now the most common result of a spinal cord injury, and incomplete and complete paraplegia occur at almost the same rate. Fewer than 1 percent of people have a complete neurological recovery by the time they leave the hospital.
- Incomplete tetraplegia: 47.7 percent
- Incomplete paraplegia: 20.4 percent
- Complete paraplegia: 19.6 percent
- Complete tetraplegia: 11.8 percent
- Normal at discharge: 0.4 percent
Hospital Stays and Rehospitalization
For injuries since 2015, the average stay in an acute care unit is 18.6 days, down from about 30 days in the 1970s, and the average rehabilitation stay is 36.3 days, down from about 110 days. About 29 percent of people are readmitted to hospital at least once in any given year after injury, staying about 18 days on average. Diseases of the genitourinary system are the leading cause, followed by skin problems such as pressure injuries, and respiratory, digestive, circulatory and musculoskeletal conditions [National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, 2026].
Education, Work and Marriage After Injury
- Employment: 64.5 percent of people were employed at the time of injury, falling to 17.8 percent one year later. Employment then rises slowly, to 26.4 percent at 10 years and 31.2 percent at 30 years.
- Education: 23.8 percent had a college degree or higher at injury, rising to 44.1 percent among people 40 years after injury.
- Marital status at injury: 44.2 percent single, 37.0 percent married and 8.9 percent divorced. The share divorced rises to 22.0 percent by year 30.
Lifetime Costs by Severity
Health care and living expenses directly caused by a spinal cord injury vary with the level and severity of the injury. The figures below are in 2025 dollars and do not include indirect costs such as lost wages, which averaged $97,787 a year [National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, 2026].
| Severity of injury | First year | Each later year | Lifetime cost, injured at 25 | Lifetime cost, injured at 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High tetraplegia (C1 to C4), AIS A, B or C | $1,446,827 | $251,246 | $6,419,617 | $3,528,112 |
| Low tetraplegia (C5 to C8), AIS A, B or C | $1,045,459 | $154,128 | $4,690,573 | $2,885,122 |
| Paraplegia, AIS A, B or C | $705,131 | $93,409 | $3,139,165 | $2,060,139 |
| Motor function at any level, AIS D | $472,190 | $57,353 | $2,144,693 | $1,513,784 |
Life Expectancy
Survival in the first year after injury has improved steadily since the 1970s, but life expectancy for people who survive the first year has not changed since the early 1980s and remains well below that of the general population. For someone injured at age 40 who survives at least one year, the NSCISC estimates the remaining years of life as follows, compared with 40.7 years for a person without a spinal cord injury:
- High tetraplegia (C1 to C4): 20.8 years
- Low tetraplegia (C5 to C8): 24.6 years
- Paraplegia: 29.1 years
- Motor function at any level (AIS D): 34.5 years
- Ventilator dependent: 12.3 years
Among people who survive the first year, the leading causes of death are respiratory diseases (19.6 percent), infective and parasitic diseases such as sepsis from urinary or pressure injury infections (13.1 percent), cancer (12.1 percent) and hypertensive and ischemic heart disease (11.0 percent) [National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, 2026]. Good bladder, skin and lung care, regular checkups and quick treatment of infections help prevent many of these complications. People living with paraplegia or quadriplegia, and their caregivers, can find more information in our section on quadriplegia and paraplegia after spinal cord injury.
More on this topic: Spinal Cord Injury Publications - Mobility Impairments Publications - Disability Types Publications
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a person with quadriplegia breathe on their own?
Many can. Most people with injuries below C4 breathe without a ventilator, while injuries at C4 or higher may affect the diaphragm and require ventilator support, sometimes only at first.
What is autonomic dysreflexia?
It is a sudden, dangerous rise in blood pressure that can occur in people with injuries at T6 or above, often triggered by a full bladder, constipation or skin irritation. It needs prompt attention to remove the cause.
Can people with paraplegia drive?
Many can, using vehicles fitted with hand controls and other adaptations. A driver rehabilitation specialist can assess needs and provide training.
Is paralysis from a spinal cord injury always permanent?
Not always. Some people with incomplete injuries regain movement or sensation, especially in the first months, although complete recovery is rare.
Can people with spinal cord injuries have children?
Yes. Many women with spinal cord injuries become pregnant and give birth, and men who have problems with erection or ejaculation can often father children with medical help.
What is the difference between AIS A and AIS D?
AIS A means a complete injury with no sensation or movement in the lowest sacral segments. AIS D means an incomplete injury in which at least half of the key muscles below the injury level can move against gravity.
How can pressure injuries be prevented?
Changing position often, using a pressure relieving cushion and mattress, checking the skin every day and keeping it clean and dry all help prevent pressure injuries.
What is a spinal cord injury model system?
It is a U.S. center funded by the federal government to provide specialized spinal cord injury care and to contribute data to the national spinal cord injury database.
References
- National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center. (2026). Traumatic spinal cord injury facts and figures at a glance: 2026 SCI data sheet. University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: The numbers have shifted a great deal since spinal cord injury fact sheets were first written. People are older when they are injured, falls now rival vehicle crashes as a cause, and far more injuries are incomplete, which means some feeling or movement remains. Hospital stays are much shorter, so more of the recovery and learning happens at home and in outpatient care, putting more weight on families and community services. Life expectancy after the first year has not improved in four decades, which points to the importance of lifelong follow-up for bladder, skin, breathing and heart health. Anyone newly living with paraplegia or quadriplegia should ask about a specialized spinal cord injury rehabilitation program and long-term follow-up care.
Author Credentials: Ian C. Langtree is a writer, editor, and the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, which he established in 2004 as one of the longest-running independent resources for disability news and information. Over more than two decades, he has written and edited thousands of articles on disability rights, health, accessibility, and assistive technology. Drawing on a global perspective shaped by extensive travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed advocate of the Social Model of Disability, the framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that focuses on removing societal barriers rather than on individual impairments. His writing is grounded in that framework and in a lasting commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.