The comparison of recovery patterns between ischemic spinal cord injury and traumatic spinal cord injury from acute to chronic phase.

Objective: To investigate the neurological and functional recovery patterns of ischemic spinal cord injury (ISCI) compared with traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) in the acute to chronic phase. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Settings: Department of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Rehabilitation Medicine at a tertiary hospital. Participants: Fifty-four patients with ISCI and 86 patients with TSCI. Interventions: Not applicable. Outcome measures: MRI findings, American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS), modified Rankin Scale (mRS), Korean Spinal Cord Independence Measure (KSCIM), ambulatory status, and bladder status were reviewed. The functional outcomes were measured at admission, discharge, and >6 months after discharge. Results: AIS classification did not significantly change after 6 months in both ISCI and TSCI groups. Between admission and discharge, the proportion of patients needing a wheelchair or assistive device to ambulate decreased more in the ISCI group compared with the TSCI group [odds ratio (OR) 0.40, P = 0.04]. In addition, the proportion of catheterized voiding in the ISCI group was significantly higher than in the TSCI group at all time points (OR 5.12, P < 0.001). Lastly, both groups showed that functional improvement was the greatest between admission and discharge. In addition, the proportion of catheterized voiding decreased (Diff = -0.12, P = 0.019) and mRS score decreased (Diff=-0.48, P < 0.001) significantly in the ISCI group at >6 months post discharge. Conclusion: The ISCI group showed better recovery of mobility during inpatient rehabilitation period and worse recovery of bladder function as demonstrated by higher number of patients requiring bladder catheterization at all time points when compared with the TSCI group.