Abstract: Objective To survey the survival status, functional status, marital status and the present situation of the survival patients with spinal cord injury 40 years after Tangshan earthquake. Methods From February to May, 2016, a total of 216 patients with spinal cord injury were surveyed with questionnaire, in which 139 cases lived centralized and 77 cases lived scattered. The questionnaire was self-designed and included eleven items and 51 questions, which related to ability of daily life, marital status, employment status and socioeconomic status and so on. Results A total of 960 (25.15%) patients with spinal cord injury survived 40 years after Tangshan earthquake. In 216 surveyed patients, the employment rate was 9.3%, the married rate was 53.2%, and 44.9% earned less than 500 yuan every month. The incidence was 25.9% for pressure score, 50.50% for neuralgia (severe pain accounted for 23.51%), and 19.40% for urinary tract stones. 56% of patients could take their own basic self-care. Conclusion There were many problems such as high complication rate, low employment rate and poor economic condition in the spinal cord injury group 40 years after Tangshan earthquake.

Key words: spinal cord injury, complication, survival situation, Tangshan earthquake