Frequency of spasticity and its association with gender, mechanism, level and type of injury in chronic traumatic SCI patients

Background: Spinal cord injury is known as a “disconnection syndrome” which leads to loss of ability of the spinal cord to correspond ascending and descending impulses and thus results in loss of motor, sensory and autonomic functions below the level of spinal cord injury. Spasticity is considered as a major secondary complication after SCI leading to various physical, psychological, social and medical complications causing increased functional dependence and low quality of life. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of spasticity and its association with gender, mechanism, level and type of injury in chronic traumatic SCI patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with spinal cord injury admitted to the Paraplegic Centre Peshawar. A total of 60 participants who met the inclusion criteria were selected using convenient sampling. Demographic information was collected, followed by assessment of the type and level of spinal cord injury using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scale. Spasticity was evaluated and graded using the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS). Results: This study showed that 51 % of the patients had spasticity after SCI. The mean age of the study participants was 30.5±11.4 years (12Minimum - Maximum 68) with 50 males: 10 females. Spasticity showed strong association with cervical cord lesions and with incomplete injuries. No association was present between mechanism of injury and gender of participants. Conclusion: This study concludes that Spasticity is a common and debilitating secondary complication in patients with spinal cord injury. It is strongly associated with the level and severity of the lesion, with cervical cord injuries and incomplete lesions showing a significantly higher likelihood of spasticity.