| Abstract |
Study design: A cross-sectional study.
Objectives: To primarily explore types of ambulatory assistive device (AAD) used, and secondarily evaluate levels of ability in independent ambulatory patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) who walked with different types of an AAD as determined using walking speed and distance walked in 6 minutes.
Setting: A tertiary rehabilitation center and community hospitals, Thailand.
Methods: The data of 195 independent ambulatory patients with SCI were used to identify the requirements of an AAD. Among these, only 140 subjects completed the functional tests.
Results: More than half of the subjects (64%) walked with an AAD in which most of them used a standard walker (45%), followed by a single cane (11%) and bilateral crutches (8%), respectively. The walking speed and distance showed significant differences among the groups (P<0.001), except those who used walker and crutches, and those who used crutches and cane (P>0.05). Among the significant variables, types of AAD used had the greatest influence on walking speed and distance of the subjects.
Conclusion: More than half of ambulatory subjects with SCI required an AAD in which most of them used a standard walker. However, the non significant differences of functional tests between the groups may suggest the heterogeneity of level of ability in subjects who used the same type of AAD. Therefore, a method to facilitate the use of an appropriate AAD may be needed.
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Publication
Journal Publication
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