Predicting walking at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation after a traumatic spinal cord injury

To investigate how injury level and American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade at rehabilitation admission are related to walking at discharge after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).

Retrospective study.

Comprehensive rehabilitation hospital.

A total of 343 adult inpatients with traumatic SCI.

Not applicable.

FIM instrument walking rating of 3 (moderate assistance) or higher at discharge.

Significantly more subjects admitted with AIS grade C (28.3%) than AIS grade A or B injuries (0.9%) walked at discharge. Significantly more subjects admitted with AIS grade D (67.2%) than AIS grade C (28.3%) injuries walked at discharge. Level of injury did not significantly affect walking after AIS grade C or D injuries. Being 50 years or older had a significant negative affect on walking in subjects with AIS grade D but not AIS grade C injuries.

Admission AIS grades give information about walking for treatment and discharge planning during acute inpatient rehabilitation, including the following: (1) patients admitted with AIS grade C injuries should not be considered functionally complete when predicting walking (FIM score > or = 3; no more than moderate assistance) at discharge, (2) level of injury does not affect walking for those with AIS grade C or D injuries, and (3) being 50 years or older has a significant negative affect on walking in subjects with AIS grade D but not AIS grade C injuries.