Gunshot injuries of the spine – a review of 49 cases managed at the Groote Schuur Acute Spinal Cord Injury Unit

With the high level of crime in the Western Cape, the state hospitals have witnessed a tremendous increase in the incidence of gunshot injuries. The Groote Schuur Trauma Unit sees between 70 and 120 gunshot injuries a month. Many of these involve the musculoskeletal system, and some the spine. This is in stark contrast to the European experience. Of 34 903 trauma cases seen in Scotland over 28 years there was only 1 case of gunshot injury of the spine. The Acute Spinal Cord Injury Unit (ASCI), previously based at Conradie Hospital, was relocated to Groote Schuur Hospital in 2003 as part of the government’s 2010 plan. This unit manages spinal cord injuries from the region on a referral basis. During the first year of opening, 162 patients were admitted with various spinal injuries. A large proportion of these were gunshot injuries of the spine. A review of this subset of patients is presented.