Obstacle crossing in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury: A preliminary study

Abstract

An important goal of physical therapy treatments for patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI) is to improve gait performance in order to maximize their capacities in the homes and community. However, gait rehabilitation nowadays are mainly done in a smooth and empty room which is different from what patients have to encounter after being discharged from the hospital. It is crucial to know the ability of patients when they walk across an obstacle. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate ability to walk over obstacles at the sizes that commonly found in the homes and community. Participants were 8 patients with iSCI who were able to walk independently with or without walking devices (FIM walking score = 5-7). The results demonstrated that 6 participants (75 %) failed when walked over the obstacles at least once. The fails were mostly due to foot or walking devices contact an obstacle. The finding indicated that participants who walked independently faced with a risk of fall when they had to walk over an obstacle. The information may have an important contribution for the modification of physical therapy programs for patients with iSCI.