Functional Independence for People with Paraplegia

Spinal cord injury can lead to limitations for the individual, but a rehabilitation programme that assesses functional gain allows monitoring throughout the course of rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to assess the results obtained by applying the Functional Independence Measure to people with paraplegia undergoing a rehabilitation programme. To this end, a quantitative, cross-sectional, retrospective, descriptive study was carried out, analysing 228 medical records and the scores obtained using the FIM Scale. Analyses were carried out using specific tests using SPSS software, version 13 for Windows. The results showed that, among the variables studied, there was a direct relationship between age, time since injury, motor level, length of hospitalisation and hospitalisation with a companion and gain in independence (p< 0.05). There was also an inverse relationship between the classification of the injury (AIS A, B, C, D or E) and functional gain (p< 0.05). Functional assessment in people with spinal cord injuries, using the Functional Independence Measurement Scale, makes it possible to monitor functional gain in people undergoing a rehabilitation programme