Introduction: The purpose of this study is to estimate the current lifetime economic burden of traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) in Canada from a societal perspective, including both direct and indirect costs, using an incidence-based approach.

Methods: Available resource use and cost information for complete/incomplete tetraplegia and paraplegia was applied to the estimated annual incidence of tSCI, by severity, in Canada.

Results: The estimated lifetime economic burden per individual with tSCI ranges from $1.5 million for incomplete paraplegia to $3.0 million for complete tetraplegia. The annual economic burden associated with 1389 new persons with tSCI surviving their initial hospitalization is estimated at $2.67 billion.

Conclusion: While the number of injuries per year in Canada is relatively small, the annual economic burden is substantial.