Relationships between Specific Functional Abilities and Health-Related Quality of Life in Chronic Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Objective The objective of this study is to explore the relationships between specific functional abilities assessed from the 3rd version of the Spinal Cord Injury Measure (SCIM), and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following a traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI). Design A prospective cohort of 195 patients that had sustained a tSCI from C1 to L1, and consecutively admitted to a single Level 1 SCI-specialized trauma center between April 2010 and September 2016 was studied. Correlation coefficients were calculated between SCIM scores and SF-36v2 summary scores (Physical component score, PCS; Mental component score, MCS). Results The total SCIM score correlated moderately with the PCS in the entire cohort, correlated strongly with PCS in tetraplegics, did not correlate with PCS in paraplegics, and did not correlate with MCS. Mobility subgroup and individual items scores showed the strongest correlations with the PCS in the entire cohort, followed by self-care and sphincter management. Conclusion This work is significant being the first to determine which specific functional abilities are mostly related to HRQoL, and highlights the differences between tetraplegic and paraplegic patients. Our findings could help clinicians to guide rehabilitation plan based on importance of specific functional abilities in relationship with the HRQoL. Funding sources: Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé / Rick Hansen Spinal Cord Injury Registry Program / USAMRMC, USA Medical Research and Material Command, Dep. of Defense, Grant # GRANT11235843 Corresponding author: Jean-Marc Mac-Thiong, MD, PhD, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Department of Surgery, 5400 Boulevard Gouin Ouest, Montreal, Québec, Canada H4J 1C5 Copyright © 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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