• W O McKinley, M E Huang, and K T Brunsvold.
• Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298, USA.
• Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1999 Oct 1; 80 (10): 1253-7.

ObjectiveTo compare outcomes of patients with neoplastic spinal cord compression (SCC) to outcomes of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) after inpatient rehabilitation.DesignA comparison between patients with a diagnosis of neoplastic SCC admitted to an SCI rehabilitation unit and patients with a diagnosis of traumatic SCI admitted to the regional Model Spinal Cord Injury Centers over a 5-year period, controlling for age, neurologic level of injury, and American Spinal Injury Association impairment classification.SettingTertiary university medical centers.PatientsTwenty-nine patients with neoplastic SCC and 29 patients with SCI of traumatic etiology who met standard rehabilitation admission criteria.Main Outcome MeasuresAcute and rehabilitation hospital length of stay (LOS), Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores, FIM change, FIM efficiency, and discharge rates to home.ResultsPatients with neoplastic SCC had a significantly (p < .01) shorter rehabilitation LOS than those with traumatic SCI (25.17 vs 57.46 days). No statistical significance was found in acute care LOS. Motor FIM scores on admission were higher in the neoplastic group, but discharge FIM scores and FIM change were significantly lower. Both groups had similar FIM efficiencies and community discharges.ConclusionsPatients with neoplastic SCC can achieve rates of functional gain comparable to those of their counterparts with traumatic SCI. While patients with traumatic SCI achieve greater functional improvement, patients with neoplastic SCC have a shorter rehabilitation LOS and can achieve comparable success with discharge to the community.

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