• P Kennedy and Z J Chessell.
• Oxford Institute of Clinical Psychology Training, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. paul.kennedy@hmc.ox.ac.uk
• Spinal Cord. 2013 Jul 1; 51 (7): 579-83.

Study DesignRetrospective case review.ObjectivesTo compare the rehabilitation outcomes between patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries and patients with non-traumatic spinal cord injuries, using The Needs Assessment Checklist (NAC), to observe if both the groups benefit from the same rehabilitation programme.SettingTertiary care, spinal cord injury rehabilitation unit (National Spinal Injuries Centre), Stoke Mandeville Hospital, UK.MethodsInformation obtained with the NAC at two time points during patients' rehabilitation was examined. Statistical analysis investigated the rehabilitation outcomes both between and within groups.ResultsInitial differences were observed on admission between patients with traumatic and non-traumatic spinal cord injuries in five of the ten rehabilitation domains measured, with patients with non-traumatic injuries presenting with better outcomes. At a later stage in patients' rehabilitation, however, differences between the groups had lessened. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that the whole cohort made significant improvements in all the ten rehabilitation domains, with the same finding evident for both patients with traumatic and patients with non-traumatic spinal cord injuries.ConclusionPatients with traumatic spinal cord injuries and patients with non-traumatic spinal cord injuries benefitted from the same rehabilitation programme in a spinal injury centre, making significant improvements in all ten rehabilitation domains measured, suggesting that it is effective to admit and rehabilitate patients with injuries resulting from both traumatic and non-traumatic aetiologies in the same specialised setting.

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