Abstract
[Purpose] This study examined the effects of age on ambulation and activities of daily living of motor incomplete spinal cord injury patients. [Methods] The subjects were 87 patients with motor incomplete spinal cord injury who were admitted to the Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Science Hospital between March 2001 and December 2012, less than 3 months after the injury. They were divided into 3 groups by age to compare ambulation levels, FIM motor sub-scores, and FIM cognitive sub-scores. [Results] The younger groups had got higher FIM motor sub-scores and FIM cognitive sub-scores at discharge. There were no significant differences in independent walking among the 3 groups, but the youngest group had a significantly higher rate of walking outdoors. [Conclusion] Age is one of the important factors affecting ADL and walking outdoors of patients with motor incomplete spinal cord injury.
