Relationship of American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale Grade to Post-injury Hospitalization and Costs in Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury

This study examines the link between the severity of thoracic spinal cord injuries, as measured by the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS), and the costs associated with hospitalizations over a patient's lifetime. Using data from the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, the study estimates the average annual days of hospitalization for thoracic SCI patients based on their AIS grade (A, B, C, or D) at 1, 5, and 10 years post-injury. The findings suggest that individuals with less severe thoracic SCI (higher AIS grade) spend fewer days in the hospital, resulting in lower overall inpatient care costs during their lifetime.

• 1
  The study found that the mean total annual days of hospitalization one year post-injury ranged from 2.1 days for AIS-D injuries to 5.9 days for AIS-A injuries.
• 2
  The estimated net present value of lifetime hospitalization costs for thoracic SCI at age 35 were $321,534 (AIS-A), $249,514 (AIS-B), $188,989 (AIS-C), and $68,120 (AIS-D).
• 3
  Persons with AIS-A thoracic SCI were consistently more likely to be hospitalized in comparison with those with incomplete thoracic injuries