Abstract: ObjectiveTo investigate the living condition of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) after Tangshan earthquake.MethodsA questionnaire was designed for the investigation with 41 items including resident environment, income, mood, etc. The faculty of surveillance was composed of trained professionals. 1261 SCI patients living in Tangshan at present, 420 of which live in the sanatoriums and others live in the common families. The patients of four sanatoriums were chosen randomly from fourteen sanatoriums to be investigated in detail, and patients in the common families in two communities, one from city, another from countryside, were also chosen. This investigation was performed in 2003.The results are compared with that of 1988' survey.ResultsGreat improvements in the living condition of SCI patients in Tangshan were shown by the comparison of these two surveys, they were mainly in: the progress in the housing environments (100% SCI patients now live in the specially designed reconstructed houses); better medical services provided (the ratio of wheelchair available from 38.1% to 100%); the majority of the patients in acceptance stage of their disability; the increase of income (21.1% takes up various occupation) with a vigorous spare time; decrease in the common complications with SCI patients; although uremia was still the first death cause of the SCI patients, the percentage was decreased apparently; cardiovascular accident had a higher percentage in the death cause(the second leading cause), implies that the death cause of the SCI survivors had approached the normal person.ConclusionThe improvements reflect the social progress in China. However, still there are some problems to be remained for further solution: the ratio of employment is low; the insurance of living and medical rehabilitation needs further improvement.

Key words: spinal cord injury (SCI), social survey, rehabilitation