**3.1. Epidemiology**

Military MPSCI epidemiology depends greatly on military conflicts around the world. Like any other military injury inflicted, it is more common in areas of worldwide conflicts and less common in peaceful areas.

Civilian MPSCI are easy to quantify. This is now the third most common cause of spinal injury in civilian population accounting for one-fifth of all spine injuries after MVA and fall from height [36, 37]. They also account for 13–17% of all causes of spinal trauma [10, 38–41].

In both civilian and military injuries of the vast majority, more than 80% of affected victims are men, with the highest incidence at their third decade [42–46]. The most common involved level is the thoracic spine (approximately 50%), and the least is the lumbar spine [3, 37, 47–49]. The incidence of thoracic spine injuries tends to reduce in more developed armies with better personal protective equipment [50].
