NEUROLOGICAL RECOVERY AND FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME OF COMPLETE TRAUMATIC SPINAL CORD INJURY PATIENTS: AN OBSERVATION FROM BANGLADESH

Abstract

Background: Neurological recovery and functional outcome is the burning issue for the spinal cord injury patients where neurological recovery depends on the improvement of motor score and ASIA impairment scale. Objective: It was aimed to explore the neurological recovery and functional outcome of complete traumatic spinal cord injury patients in a rehabilitation center of Bangladesh. Materials and Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from the record of 437 SCI patients from June 2014 to June 2017.. We collect initial neurologic deficit, ASIA, SCIM and demographic data at admission and neuro-logical deficit ASIA and SCIM after three months to compare of their neurological extent as well as functional outcome. Results: Majority of the participants had traumatic paraplegia (63.6%) and the principle cause was fall from height (51.3%). 26 (5.9%) of the patients were shifted into B from AIS A, 38 (8.7%) were shifted into C, 28 (6.4%) were shifted into D. Among 437 participants three hundred and thirty-eight (77.3%) were wheelchair-dependent and forty-nine (11.2%) were walking at the time of discharge. Conclusion: Though neurological and functional recovery is rare for the complete SCI, but the study has shown us a hopeful aspiration. Further research on a larger scale studies is necessary to generalize the result.