Epidemiology

Syringomyelia occurs in approximately 2% of individuals with SCI (Klekamp & Samii 2002). No relationship has been reported between the level of SCI and the likelihood of developing syringomyelia. Incidence rates are similar in individuals with either tetraplegia or paraplegia (Brodbelt & Stoodley 2003; Klekamp & Samii 2002; Ko et al. 2012). However, an increased risk of post-traumatic syringomyelia has been reported in complete SCI individuals (Vannemreddy et al. 2002; Kramer & Levine 1997). Among individuals with complete SCI, the occurrence of syringomyelia has been found to be more frequent in those with residual spinal deformity and or spinal canal compromise (Jamous et al. 2021).