Effects of a Home-Based Rehabilitation on Anthropometric Measures, Sensory-Motor Functions and Independence After Spinal Cord Injury

Summary

Background: The scarcity of resources for spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation constitutes a significant obstacle, particularly in war-torn regions experiencing a rise in such injuries. Implementing a home-based rehabilitative program (HBRP) tailored to patients' environmental, social, and financial contexts is crucial in mitigating this challenge. The authors investigated the effects of a 24-month HBRP on anthropometric measurements, muscular strength, sensory and motor function, and independence in participants transitioning from bed to walking following SCI.

Methods: Serial case study in a quasi-experimental design, the conducting was at the participants' homes. The participants were four patients with SCI (experimental group) and another two patients with SCI (control group). The interventions were a 24-month HBRP comprising strength, flexibility, and balance training, the outcome measures involved anthropometric measurements, muscle strength using a digital handheld dynamometer, muscle thickness, and cross-sectional area measured using magnetic resonance imaging, measured five walking tests, and the American Spinal Injury Association scale (ASIA) score for assess the sensory and motor score, and the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM).

Conditions

• Spinal Cord Injury at T7-T10 Level
• War Injuries Due to Bullets and Fragments
• Spinal Cord Injury L1- L5
• Spinal Cord Injury No Sensory/Motor in S4-S5

Interventions

OTHER

Home-based Rehabilitation program

Home-based rehabilitation program The investigators used the ASIA scale to evaluate the sensory function and voluntary movement7. The HBRP included whole-body training with various exercises for stretching, strength, endurance, and aerobic fitness. The treatment sessions were performed three times per week and had a 50-120-minute duration. The exercises were modified based on individual progress and included the use of a rubber ball for balance and strength as well as trunk flexibility, static balance, stability, and standing exercises. Participants who could stand with assistive devices (such as knee-ankle-foot orthoses, KAFO) performed walking exercises.

DEVICE

Knee-Ankle-Foot-Orthosis

It is used to assist the participant in holding his /her body weight on the lower limb through standing and walking

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Sfax

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Mosul

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Munib A Fathe, PhD · University of Mosul

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

23 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-09-25

Primary Completion

2021-10-15

Completion

2022-10-25

Countries

• Iraq

Study Locations