Falls in Individuals with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

Overview

Journal Spinal Cord

Specialty Neurology

Date 2006 Feb 24

PMID 16491105

Citations 68

Authors

S S Brotherton

J S Krause

P J Nietert

Affiliations

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Abstract

Study Design: Mail survey of participants with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI).

Objective: To describe the incidence, circumstances, consequences, and perceived contributory factors associated with falls among ambulatory individuals with incomplete SCI.

Setting: Southeast region of the United States.

Methods: A survey instrument was developed largely from existing measures and mailed to individuals with incomplete SCI to collect self-reported information on participant characteristics and fall-related variables.

Results: Seventy-five percent of study participants sustained at least one fall over the previous year. Even though most injuries were minor, 18% of fallers sustained a fracture and 45% reported reduced ability to get out into the community and engage in productive activity. Factors perceived to contribute to falls most often were decreased strength in the trunk and lower extremities, loss of balance, and hazards in the environment.

Conclusions: Falls occur frequently and often have significant consequences among ambulatory individuals with SCI. These data may assist rehabilitation professionals to identify those at risk and implement fall prevention strategies.

Sponsorship: This project was supported by a grant from the South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Research Fund Grant # 0703.

Citing Articles

Role of Epidural Electrode Stimulation in Three Patients with Incomplete AIS D Spinal Cord Injury.

Chen Y, Huang X, Cheng H, Wu C, Wu M, Yan L Biomedicines. 2025; 13(1).

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Intermittent adaptation to pelvis perturbation during walking enhances retention and generalization of motor learning in people with incomplete spinal cord injury.

Park S, Yan S, Dee W, Keefer R, Rymer W, Wu M Exp Brain Res. 2024; 243(1):21.

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Amplify Gait to Improve Locomotor Engagement in Spinal Cord Injury (AGILE SCI) trial: study protocol for an assessor blinded randomized controlled trial.

Gordon K, Dusane S, Kahn J, Shafer A, Brazg G, Henderson H BMC Neurol. 2024; 24(1):271.

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Efficacy of Walking Adaptability Training on Walking Capacity in Ambulatory People With Motor Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: A Multicenter Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial.

Zwijgers E, van Dijsseldonk R, Vos-van der Hulst M, Hijmans J, Geurts A, Keijsers N Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2024; 38(6):413-424.

PMID: 38661122 PMC: 11097615. DOI: 10.1177/15459683241248088.

Clinical Static Balance Assessment: A Narrative Review of Traditional and IMU-Based Posturography in Older Adults and Individuals with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury.

Noamani A, Riahi N, Vette A, Rouhani H Sensors (Basel). 2023; 23(21).

PMID: 37960580 PMC: 10650039. DOI: 10.3390/s23218881.