Original Article

Spinal Cord (2009) 47, 597–603; doi:10.1038/sc.2008.178; published online 27 January 2009

Properties and outcomes of spinal rehabilitation units in four countries

Y Fromovich-Amit1, F Biering-Sørensen2, V Baskov3,4, A Juocevicius5, H V Hansen2, I Gelernter6, J Hart1,7, A Baskov3,4, O Dreval4, P Terese dot8 and A Catz1,7

  1. 1The Spinal Department and Medical Management, Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, Ra'anana, Israel
  2. 2The Clinic for Spinal Cord Injuries, The NeuroScience Center, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
  3. 3The Neurosurgical-Rehabilitation Spinal Cord Unit at Moscow Municipal Hospital No.19, Moscow, Russia
  4. 4Russian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Studies, Neurosurgery Department, Moscow, Russia
  5. 5The Rehabilitation Department, Institute of Rehabilitation, Sport Medicine and Nursing, Medical Faculty, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
  6. 6The Statistical Laboratory, School of Mathematics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
  7. 7The Rehabilitation and Epidemiology Departments, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
  8. 8The Center of Rehabilitation, Physical and Sport Medicine, Vilnius University Hospital Santaris caronkių Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania

Correspondence: Professor A Catz, Department IV, Spinal Rehabilitation, Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, 278 Achuza Street, PO Box 3, Raanana 43100, Israel. E-mail: amcatz@post.tau.ac.il

Received 20 May 2008; Revised 6 November 2008; Accepted 16 November 2008; Published online 27 January 2009.

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Abstract

Objective:

 

Compare rehabilitation after spinal cord lesions (SCL) in different countries.

Design:

 

Multicenter comparative study.

Setting:

 

Four spinal rehabilitation units, in Denmark, Russia, Lithuania and Israel.

Subjects:

 

199 SCL patients.

Interventions:

 

Information was collected about unit properties, rehabilitation objectives, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scale and spinal cord independence measure (SCIM) assessments, and patient data. chi 2-test, t-test, ANOVA and ANCOVA were used for statistical analysis.

Main outcome measures:

 

Time from lesion onset to admission for rehabilitation (TAR), length of stay in rehabilitation (LOS), SCIM and spinal cord ability realization measurement index (SCI-ARMI) scores, SCIM gain, SCI-ARMI gain and rehabilitation efficiency (RE).

Results:

 

Differences were found between the units in rehabilitation objectives, facilities and special equipment for rehabilitation. Staff/bed ratio was 1.7 in Lithuania and Denmark, 1.1 in Israel and 0.9 in Russia. Russian patients were the youngest and had the most severe lesions among participating units. Admission SCIM and SCI-ARMI were the lowest in Israel: 25.1plusminus17.2 and 34.3plusminus17.3. TAR was highest in Russia (12.4 month) and lowest in Israel (2 weeks; P<0.01). LOS was longest in Denmark (176.9 days; P<0.001). SCIM score at the end of rehabilitation was highest in Denmark (67.3plusminus23). SCIM gain and SCI ARMI gain were highest in Israel (36.9plusminus18.3 and 38.5plusminus19.4, respectively) and lowest in Russia (P<0.001). RE was highest in Lithuania and lowest in Denmark (P<0.001).

Conclusions:

 

In the participating units, SCL rehabilitation outcomes depend on SCL severity and unit-specific properties. A moderately delayed rehabilitation with long LOS achieved high functioning, and early or slightly delayed rehabilitation combined with shorter LOS achieved high functional gain or efficiency.

Keywords:

rehabilitation outcomes, multicenter study, SCIM, SCIARMI

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