Neuropathic pain (NP) following traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is the complication that has the worst negative impact on the quality of life of people with SCI. The prevalence of NP in high-income countries is 53% and predictive factors related to its presentation have been described, such as mechanisms of SCI and others like clinical complications associated. The characteristics of NP in this population are unknown in Cali and Colombia.

To determinate differences between patients with NP following traumatic SCI and patients without NP but with traumatic SCI, in Cali, Colombia.

A cross-sectional study based on clinical histories records of people suffering SCI, who attended a trauma center during 2016. Adjusted risk analyses of NP were performed using multiple logistic regressions. Risk was expressed with Odds Ratio (OR).

In total, 190 patients of SCI were included, 91 (47.89%) of them had NP, age mean of 35.35±13.31 years old, mostly men (95.60%); 81.32% of the injuries were traumatic in the context of violent aggressions; follow by 14.29% car accident. The most frequent injury level was thoracic (65.93%) and American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) classification mainly A and B (64.84%; 12.09%, respectively). Clinical complications like spasticity and neurogenic bladder/bowel were presented in 49.45% and 93.41% of patients with NP. Higher probabilities of developing NP (P<0.05) were found when injury mechanism was car accident (OR=8.96; 95% CI=1.51–53.40), and when there were clinical complications like neurogenic bladder/bowel (OR=6.09; 95% CI=1.97–18.90). This probability decreased when injury chronicity was higher than 10 years ago (OR=0.23; 95% CI=0.074–0.71).

Prevention and treatment strategies aimed to reduce clinical complications should be prioritized. It is necessary to continue exploring factors associated to NP in this population and complications such as bladder or neurogenic bowel, besides the injury stabilization through the time.