Changes in functional independence after inpatient rehabilitation in patients with spinal cord injury: A simultaneous evaluation of prognostic factors

This study aimed to investigate the improvements of functional independence following inpatient rehabilitation and compare those improvements between different levels and severities of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Prognostic factors affecting the patient's outcomes were also studied. Rofeideh Rehabilitation Hospital. Spinal Cord Independence Measure version III (SCIM III), and Functional Independence Measure (FIM). In this retrospective cohort study, 180 patients with SCI were enrolled to record their functional independence upon admission and discharge, and the changes were compared between different levels and severities of injury using non-parametric tests. The prognostic factors of outcomes were studied by generalized estimating equation (GEE) analysis. The independence changes were significant for all the severities (American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS)) and levels of injury except for the patients with AIS A and B at upper cervical levels (P