We compared our cases with a nationwide epidemiological survey of spinal cord injuries in Japan from January 1990 to December 1992. We had 16 cases of cervical spine injury due to diving accidents which constituted 3% of all injuries and 54% of sports injuries. The average age of them was 24.1 years, ranging from 12 to 41 years. The nationwide epidemological survey included 114 cases of diving accidents which constituted 1% of all injuries and 22% of sports injuries. The average age of them was 22.1 years, ranging from 10 to 55 years.
Since the greater part of both cases had severe clinical symptom, it was difficult to recover from the palsy and return to social life. And so we think that a wide educational program is essential in order to reduce the number of diving accidents.
