Model System:

SCI

Reference Type:

Journal

Accession No.:

J72069

Journal:



Year, Volume, Issue, Page(s):

, 96, 8, 1448-1457

Publication Website:

Abstract:

Study developed and evaluated functional ability levels for the Spinal Cord Injury Functional Index (SCI-FI) using calibration and reliability samples. The SCI-FI measures activity limitations in 5 domains: basic mobility, ambulation, wheelchair mobility, self-care, and fine motor function. SCI-FI data were obtained from 1,124 adults with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) recruited from the SCI Model Systems programs (855 and 269 for calibration and reliability samples, respectively) and stratified by diagnosis, severity, and time since injury. Five functional ability levels were identified for all SCI-FI domains, except fine motor having 4 functional ability levels. Statistical test results indicated no significant differences in the distribution pattern between the 2 samples across functional ability levels for all domains except for ambulation. Known-group comparisons were able to distinguish the SCI population as expected. Basic mobility, self-care, and wheelchair mobility domains had a cluster of patients with paraplegia and incomplete lesions at higher functional ability levels and patients with tetraplegia and complete lesions at lower functional ability levels. For the ambulation domain, the distribution was skewed to the lower end, with a relatively small percentage of patients with incomplete lesions (paraplegia and tetraplegia) at higher functional ability levels. For the fine motor domain, the distribution was skewed to higher functional ability levels, with a high percentage of persons with paraplegia at the highest level (complete and incomplete lesions). Concurrent validity analyses revealed SCI-FI functional levels to be significantly positively correlated with both the self-reported functional measure and the observer-rated Functional Independence Measure.

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