• Elizabeth D Kay, Anne Deutsch, and Lisa Ann Wuermser.
• Spinal Cord Injury Program, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611-4496, USA. a-deutsch@northwestern.edu
• Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2007 Jun 1; 88 (6): 745-50.

ObjectiveTo investigate how injury level and American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade at rehabilitation admission are related to walking at discharge after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).DesignRetrospective study.SettingComprehensive rehabilitation hospital.ParticipantsA total of 343 adult inpatients with traumatic SCI.InterventionsNot applicable.Main Outcome MeasureFIM instrument walking rating of 3 (moderate assistance) or higher at discharge.ResultsSignificantly more subjects admitted with AIS grade C (28.3%) than AIS grade A or B injuries (0.9%) walked at discharge. Significantly more subjects admitted with AIS grade D (67.2%) than AIS grade C (28.3%) injuries walked at discharge. Level of injury did not significantly affect walking after AIS grade C or D injuries. Being 50 years or older had a significant negative affect on walking in subjects with AIS grade D but not AIS grade C injuries.ConclusionsAdmission AIS grades give information about walking for treatment and discharge planning during acute inpatient rehabilitation, including the following: (1) patients admitted with AIS grade C injuries should not be considered functionally complete when predicting walking (FIM score > or = 3; no more than moderate assistance) at discharge, (2) level of injury does not affect walking for those with AIS grade C or D injuries, and (3) being 50 years or older has a significant negative affect on walking in subjects with AIS grade D but not AIS grade C injuries.

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