A Preliminary Report on the Outcomes of A Short-Course Intensive Rehabilitation Program for Spinal Cord Injury: A Prospective Observational Study

Objective: To study the effect of a short-course intensive rehabilitation program on functional outcomes in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).Material and Methods: Individuals diagnosed with SCI who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria between January and December 2023 attended a short-course intensive SCI rehabilitation program lasting 1-2 weeks. Participants were assessed for functional outcomes using the Spinal Cord Independence Measure III (SCIM III) and the Modified Barthel Index (MBI) before the program, after the program, and at the 2-, 4-, and 6-month follow-ups. Furthermore, complications such as depression and urinary tract infection (UTI) were evaluated. Results: The intensive SCI rehabilitation program was performed on 23 patients over 9.61±4.75 days. They demonstrated significant improvements (p-value<0.05) in SCIM III and MBI scores. After completion of the SCI rehabilitation program, mean SCIM III scores rose from 28.43 to 51.26, while MBI scores increased from 5.35 to 10.48 (Cohen’s d=1.14 and 1.08, respectively). UTI was the most frequently occurring complication, with an incidence of 48%. During the follow-up phases, the maximum UTI rate was 39.13% at the 2-month follow-up, and the highest depression rate was 8.70% at the 2- and 6-month follow-ups.Conclusion: The short-course intensive SCI rehabilitation program significantly improved functional outcomes, which were sustained for >6 months. However, UTIs and depression were observed as complications during and after the rehabilitation program.