Objective: To identify the possible factors influencing motor functional outcome of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (T-SCI) after inpatient rehabilitation.
Methods: 90 patients with T-SCI consecutively admitted for inpatient SCI rehabilitation unit was studied. Demographic characteristics, level and completeness of SC injury using American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale, disability level using Functional Independence Measure (FIM), psychological state using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and SCI-related medical complications were assessed and recorded at admission. The main measure of functional outcome was the motor FIM gain score at discharge. The univariate and multiple linear regression analyses were performed.
Results: The Mean admission motor FIM score was 35.3 (20.1), the mean discharge motor FIM score was 65.3 (22.5), and the mean motor FIM gain score was 30.0 (20.9). Univariate analyses indicated that the significant factors influencing motor functional outcome included age, motor FIM score at admission, level and severity of injury, anxiety/depression score, time between injury and admission to rehabilitation, length of stay, destination at discharge, and family caregiver. However, in multiple linear regression analyses, age, destination at discharge, family caregiver were not significant predictors.
Conclusion: Age was not predictor of motor functional outcome and rehabilitation can be effective in elderly SCI patients. Rehabilitation intervention should begin as soon as possible. The admission motor FIM score, level and severity of injury, interval between onset and admission, anxiety/depression score, and length of stay can be used to predict functional outcomes of rehabilitation in SCI patients.
Keywords: Traumatic spinal cord injury; functional outcome; predictors; rehabilitation.