Assessing functional recovery for individuals with spinal cord injury post-discharge from inpatient rehabilitation

This study examines how well people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) recover their physical abilities in the first year after leaving inpatient rehabilitation. It looks at factors like the type and severity of their injury, any complications during their initial hospital stay, and their individual characteristics to see how these factors relate to their recovery. The researchers linked data from trauma centers and SCI Model Centers in Pennsylvania to follow a group of 359 individuals with traumatic SCI. They measured functional recovery by looking at changes in the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) total motor score, which assesses a person's ability to perform daily tasks. The findings showed that most people with SCI improved after leaving rehabilitation, but certain factors were linked to less recovery. These included being of Black or Hispanic race and ethnicity, having a more severe injury, experiencing infections during acute care, and having a longer stay in inpatient rehabilitation.

• 1
  Individuals of Black and Hispanic race and ethnicity showed lower functional recovery post-discharge from IRF.
• 2
  Higher injury severity group was associated with lower functional recovery.
• 3
  Occurrence of infection during acute care was associated with lower functional recovery.