Early rehabilitation effect for traumatic spinal cord injury

Objective: To determine the natural course of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) and the effect of early rehabilitation on it, Design: A retrospective, multicenter study. Setting: Sixteen Rosai hospitals and 1 medical school. Participants: One hundred twenty-three SCI patients (104 men, 19 women; mea n age, 48.8 +/- 17.7yr) enrolled. I Interventions: Dividing the subjects into an early rehabilitation group and a delayed group; differences were ensured by international classification of SCI, Main Outcome Measures: Using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) classifications, the motor recovery rate (MRR) was defined as (ASIA motor s core at discharge ASIA motor score at admission)/(100 - ASIA motor score at admission). The regression lines for FIM(TM) instrument score and ASIA mot or score were determined for 6 subgroups (early or delayed tetraplegia, cen tral cord injury, paraplegia) by the MRR staging, The regression lines for physical or cognitive FIM score and ASIA motor score were also determined f or 6 subgroups. Results: Three stages were obtained: acute stage: 2 weeks postinjury; recov ery stage: 2 weeks to 6 months postinjury; and chronic stage: more than 6 m onths postinjury. Regression lines showed that rehabilitation improved phys ical functional independence for ASIA motor score, especially in the early rehabilitation subgroups. There was no correlation between cognitive FIM sc ore and ASIA motor score in 6 subgroups. Conclusion: Early SCI rehabilitation contributes to good physical activitie s of daily living for motor function.