Spasticity Predicts Motor Recovery for Patients with Subacute Motor Complete Spinal Cord Injury

Ann Neurol, 2025 · DOI: · Published: March 28, 2025

Simple Explanation

This study investigates whether spasticity can predict motor recovery in patients with motor complete SCI. The researchers hypothesized that the presence of spasticity indicates the preservation of motor pathways and could therefore predict motor recovery. The study found that motor complete SCI patients with spasticity showed improvements in motor scores and AIS conversion, while those without spasticity did not. Incomplete SCI patients showed motor recovery regardless of spasticity. The findings suggest that spasticity could be a clinical marker to predict motor recovery after severe SCI, potentially improving inpatient rehabilitation effectiveness for motor complete SCI patients.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

36 motor complete and 30 motor incomplete SCI patients

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Motor complete SCI patients with spasticity showed improvements in motor scores and AIS conversion.
2
Motor complete SCI patients without spasticity showed no changes in motor scores and AIS conversion.
3
Incomplete SCI patients showed motor recovery regardless of the presence of spasticity.

Research Summary

The study aimed to determine if spasticity can predict motor recovery in patients with subacute motor complete SCI. The results showed that motor complete SCI patients with spasticity were more likely to experience motor recovery, while motor incomplete SCI patients showed motor recovery regardless of spasticity. The study suggests that spasticity is an easily accessible clinical outcome that can help predict motor recovery in motor complete SCI patients.

Practical Implications

Improved Rehabilitation Strategies

Identifying patients with motor complete SCI who are likely to recover motor function based on spasticity could allow for more targeted and effective rehabilitation strategies.

Clinical Biomarker

Spasticity can serve as an easy-to-use clinical biomarker for predicting motor recovery, reducing the need for more invasive or complex assessments.

Personalized Treatment Plans

The presence of spasticity can help clinicians tailor treatment plans to maximize motor recovery potential in motor complete SCI patients.

Study Limitations

1
Small sample size of patients with AIS A/B limits the generalizability of the findings.
2
Improvements in motor scores were small in some AIS A/B patients with spasticity and MEPs.
3
The study only evaluated spasticity in the rectus femoris muscle.

Your Feedback

Was this summary helpful?

Back to Spinal Cord Injury