Ambulation without wheelchairs for paraplegics with complete lesions

Some salient features of the physical training programme for paraplegics at the State Rehabilitation Institute in Oslo are mentioned. A ten-year follow-up study of 42 clients with complete lesions (TI-L3) is presented. After an intensive physical training programme of some 10--15 weeks 74 per cent were able to climb and go down 20 standard stairs and 71 per cent were able to walk 100 metres indoors with crutches. The authors stress the importance of ambulations independent of wheelchairs whenever this is possible.