title: Ability of walking without a walking device in patients with spinal cord injury as determined using data from functional tests.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  More than half of independent ambulatory patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) need a walking device to promote levels of independence. However, long-lasting use of a walking device may introduce negative impacts for the patients. Using a standard objective test relating to the requirement of a walking device may offer a quantitative criterion to effectively monitor levels of independence of the patients. Therefore, this study investigated (1) ability of the three functional tests, including the five times sit-to-stand test (FTSST), timed up and go test (TUGT), and 10-meter walk test (10MWT) to determine the ability of walking without a walking device, and (2) the inter-tester reliability of the tests to assess functional ability in patients with SCI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty independent ambulatory patients with SCI, who walked with and without a walking device (30 subjects/group), were assessed cross-sectionally for their functional ability using the three tests. The first 20 subjects also participated in the inter-tester reliability test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The time required to complete the FTSST <14 seconds, the TUGT < 18 seconds, and the 10MWT < 6 seconds had good-to-excellent capability to determine the ability of walking without a walking device of subjects with SCI. These tests also showed excellent inter-tester reliability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Methods of clinical evaluation for walking are likely performed using qualitative observation, which makes the results difficult to compare among testers and test intervals. Findings of this study offer a quantitative target criterion or a clear level of ability that patients with SCI could possibly walk without a walking device, which would benefit monitoring process for the patients.
authors.forename: Puttipong
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poncumhak
authors.forename: Jiamjit
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saengsuwan
authors.forename: Sugalya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amatachaya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013997:Time Factors; D014853:Walkers; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Assessment; Assistive device; Paraplegia; Rehabilitation; Tetraplegia; Walking