Comparison of rehabilitation outcomes following vascular-related and traumatic spinal cord injury

This study compares the rehabilitation outcomes of patients with vascular-related spinal cord injuries (VR-SCI) to those with traumatic spinal cord injuries (T-SCI). VR-SCI can lead to significant neurological issues such as weakness and sensory loss. The study matched VR-SCI and T-SCI patients for age, injury level, and completeness to see if the cause of the injury (vascular vs. traumatic) affects rehabilitation outcomes. The goal was to better describe the VR-SCI patient population and predict their outcomes. The findings suggest that when VR-SCI and T-SCI patients are matched for key characteristics, their rehabilitation outcomes are similar. This indicates that factors like age and injury severity may be more important than the cause of the injury itself.

• 1
  Patients with VR-SCI were generally older and more likely to have paraplegia compared to those with T-SCI. Common causes of VR-SCI included post-surgical complications, arteriovenous malformations, and aortic dissection.
• 2
  Common complications in VR-SCI patients included neurogenic bowel/bladder dysfunction, urinary tract infections, pain, and pressure ulcers.
• 3
  When matched for age, injury level, and completeness, there were no significant differences in FIM change, FIM efficiency, length of stay, or discharge disposition between VR-SCI and T-SCI groups.