Benefits of Rehabilitation for Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

The functional outcomes of 711 patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries who were admitted to a rehabilitation hospital during an eight-year period were studied. The modified Barthel index, a 100-point scale, was used to assess ability to perform self-care and mobility skills at rehabilitation admission and discharge. There were statistically significant improvements in self-care and mobility subscores of the modified Barthel index. Mean total modified Barthel index scores increased from 13.8 at admission to 46.1 at discharge for patients with quadriplegia, and from 37.7 to 74.4 for patients with paraplegia. Functional gains made by patients with incomplete spinal lesions were greater than those made by patients with complete lesions. This study documents improvement in ability to perform self-care and mobility skills among patients with spinal cord injuries who participate in comprehensive rehabilitation.