Need for a comprehensive epidemiologic study of spinal
cord injury in Poland: findings from a systematic review
Outcomes of comprehensive care in acute and sub-acute stages of
SCI between 1965 and 1993 have been described in multiple
dimensions in 89 papers from STOCER. The main limitation of
these studies is their focus on a single center, as well as application of
exclusively locally developed diagnostic and assessment tools, rather
than those used as ‘standard’ measurement instruments in other
countries. Therefore, the data is probably representative only for eastcentral
Poland (the region covered by STOCER). Forty-nine reports
from other centers describing outcomes in acute and post-acute phase
of SCI included lower number of participants (5–511, mean 80.1) and
are mostly limited to analysis of a surgical outcome. Nevertheless,
studies by the team of Weiss and Kiwerski can serve as a valuable basis
for further epidemiologic studies