Results of the investigation indicate that one in three persons living with a spinal cord injuries in the community has a pressure sore at any particular time.

At a single point in time, 100 men and 40 women with spinal cord injury living in the community were examined for pressure sores and 33% had a sore. Of those with a sore, 46% had more than one; 27.6% had State III or IV severity. Most sores (69%) were in the pelvic region; 29.9% had one on their legs. People who had the most ulcers were also the ones who had the least motor control. Blacks had more sores than whites, which could be because their darker pigment makes it more difficult to detect initial skin discoloration indicative of a pressure sore. A question not asked in this study was whether participants were aware of any skin problems at the time of their medical exam. Based on the number of discovered sores, it might be worthwhile for future researchers to determine whether persons are able to accurately detect pressure ulcers, the techniques they use to manage pressure sores, and what they do to prevent sores. #363

Fuhrer, M. J., Garber, S. L., Rintala, D. H., Clearman, R., & Hart, K. A. (1993). Pressure ulcers in community-resident persons with spinal cord injury: Prevalence and risk factors. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 74, 1172-1177.

Keyword: Treatment