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Locomotor Training Progression and Outcomes After Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

2005; Oxford University Press; Volume: 85; Issue: 12 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1093/ptj/85.12.1356

1538-6724

Andrea L. Behrman, Anna R Lawless-Dixon, Sandra B. Davis, Mark G. Bowden, Preeti M. Nair, Chetan P. Phadke, Elizabeth M. Hannold, Prudence Plummer, Susan J. Harkema,

Cerebral Palsy and Movement Disorders

The use of locomotor training with a body-weight-support system and treadmill (BWST) and manual assistance has increased in rehabilitation. The purpose of this case report is to describe the process for retraining walking in a person with an incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) using the BWST and transferring skills from the BWST to overground assessment and community ambulation.Following discharge from rehabilitation, a man with an incomplete SCI at C5-6 and an American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale classification of D participated in 45 sessions of locomotor training.Walking speed and independence improved from 0.19 m/s as a home ambulator using a rolling walker and a right ankle-foot orthosis to 1.01 m/s as a full-time ambulator using a cane only for community mobility. Walking activity (mean+/-SD) per 24 hours increased from 1,054+/-543 steps to 3,924+/-1,629 steps.In a person with an incomplete SCI, walking ability improved after locomotor training that used a decision-making algorithm and progression across training environments.