Inpatient rehabilitation outcomes in patients with malignant spinal cord compression compared to other non-traumatic spinal cord injury: A population based study

This study compares the rehabilitation outcomes of patients with malignant spinal cord compression (MSCC) to those with non-traumatic spinal cord injury (NT-SCI). MSCC can cause significant disability and decreased survival. The study looks at demographic characteristics, clinical outcomes, survival rates, and functional improvements in patients undergoing inpatient rehabilitation. It aims to understand if rehabilitation is beneficial for MSCC patients despite their compromised survival. Researchers used administrative data from rehabilitation facilities in Ontario, Canada, between 2007 and 2011 to track patient outcomes. They compared the MSCC group to a group with NT-SCI to see how they differed in their recovery.

• 1
  Patients with MSCC showed significant improvement in the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores during inpatient rehabilitation.
• 2
  NT-SCI patients had higher FIM efficiency and total FIM gains compared to MSCC patients. However, there were no significant differences in length of stay or discharge FIM scores between the two groups.
• 3
  Survival rates were significantly lower in the MSCC cohort compared to the NT-SCI cohort, but a majority of MSCC patients were discharged home and met their rehabilitation goals.