Comparison of lower extremity motor score parameters for patients with motor incomplete spinal cord injury using gait parameters

Abstract

Aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between ambulatory function improvement and an increase in lower-limb motor scores in persons with motor incomplete SCI and to compare the efficiency of LEMS and AMI in representation of ambulatory function improvement using gait analysis. The gait analysis from fourty three patients with SCI (paraplegic, n=22, tetraplegic n=21) were reviewed. The gait analysis data was obtained with Vicon 370 system (Oxford Metrics Ltd., UK). The LEMS and AMI were assessed before the gait analysis and the influence of an increase in lower limb motor scores were investigated with linear parameters of gait analysis. For group including both tetraplegic and paraplegic patients, both AMI & LEMS were statistically correlated with gait speed, step length, and negative correlation with double limb support. However, only LEMS was correlated with cadence. For the paraplegic group, with AMI & LEMS, there were correlation with gait speed, step length and right single limb support and negative correlation with right double limb support. However, only LEMS was correlated with left cadence and negative correlation with double limb support. For the tetraplegic group, only left cadence was statistically correlated with AMI. In conclusion, both AMI and LEMS were useful in terms of providing information for capability of ambulatory function for the paraplegic group. However, for the tetraplegic group, both AMI and LEMS do not provide sufficient information for ambulatory function of the incomplete SCI patients.