Significance of physical factors on activities of daily living in patients with tetraplegia after spinal cord injury: a retrospective study

This study examines factors affecting activities of daily living (ADL) in tetraplegia patients after spinal cord injury (SCI). It focuses on physical factors like muscle strength and balance. The study used a retrospective cross-sectional design, analyzing data from 201 patients who underwent inpatient rehabilitation. The Korean Spinal Cord Independence Measure III (K-SCIM III) was used to assess ADL ability. Results showed that physical factors, particularly upper and lower extremity strength and sitting balance, significantly impact functional ability. These factors were more influential than demographic, SCI-related, and cognitive factors.

• 1
  Upper-extremity motor score (UEMS), upper-extremity spasticity and sitting balance scores were significant predictors of self-care.
• 2
  Lower-extremity motor score (LEMS), musculoskeletal pain of shoulder, and sitting balance were significant predictors of respiratory and sphincter management.
• 3
  UEMS, LEMS, musculoskeletal pain of shoulder, and sitting balance scores were significant predictors of the K-SCIM III total score after adjustment for demographic, SCI-related, and cognitive factors.