Neoplastic versus traumatic spinal cord injury: an outcome comparison after inpatient rehabilitation.
OBJECTIVE
To compare outcomes of patients with neoplastic spinal cord compression (SCC) to outcomes of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) after inpatient rehabilitation.


METHODS
A 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.


METHODS
Tertiary university medical centers.


METHODS
Twenty-nine patients with neoplastic SCC and 29 patients with SCI of traumatic etiology who met standard rehabilitation admission criteria.


METHODS
Acute and rehabilitation hospital length of stay (LOS), Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores, FIM change, FIM efficiency, and discharge rates to home.


RESULTS
Patients 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.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients 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.
McKinley
W O
WO
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298, USA.
Huang
M E
ME
Brunsvold
K T
KT
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D006757:Hospital Units; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009048:Motor Skills; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome