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The most common causes of damage to the spinal cord are traumas such as motor vehicle accidents, motor bike accidents, falls, sports injuries (particularly diving into shallow waters), gunshot wounds, assault and other injuries; and disease such as polio and spina bifida.
Direct injury such as cuts can occur to the spinal cord, particularly if the bones (vertebrae) are damaged. Fragments of bone or fragments of metal (for example from a car accident) can cut or damage the spinal cord causing injury.
If the head, neck or back are twisted abnormally, the spinal cord can be pulled, compressed or pressed sideways, also possibly causing direct damage.
The accumulation of blood or fluid can cause swelling within the spine or spinal cord causing compression of, and damage to the spinal cord, resulting in a spinal cord injury.
