Pattern of Spinal Injuries at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto

Spinal injuries are devastating conditions associated with permanent neurological deficits, high mortality, and immense socioeconomic consequences for affected individuals and families. This retrospective descriptive study documents the pattern, aetiology, and outcomes of spinal injuries managed at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto, North West Nigeria, over a five-year review period. Hospital records will be reviewed for patient age, sex, mechanism of injury, spinal level involved, neurological grading at admission using the ASIA Impairment Scale, surgical and conservative management modalities, complications, and final neurological outcomes. Frequency distributions and cross-tabulations will be used to characterise the injury pattern. It is hypothesised that vehicular accidents and falls from heights constitute the predominant mechanisms, with cervical and thoracolumbar regions being the most frequently affected levels. Findings will be submitted to the department of orthopaedics and the Sokoto State Ministry of Health to guide acquisition of spinal surgical infrastructure and training of neurosurgical capacity. This study fills an important data gap in spinal trauma epidemiology in the North West geopolitical zone and supports national advocacy for improved spinal injury management capacity in Nigerian public hospitals. Keywords: spinal injury, ASIA Impairment Scale, road traffic accidents, Sokoto, spinal trauma epidemiology.