Health outcomes after spinal cord injury potentially affected by race, ethnicity

Researchers examined the racial and ethnic influences in the outcomes of patients with motor complete spinal cord injury and found small but significant differences in self-care and mobility at discharge, according to a press release.

“In this study, at discharge from rehabilitation, greater improvement in functional independent measure scores for self-care and mobility was seen in Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites when compared with non-Hispanic blacks,” study author Denise Fyffe, PhD, a research scientist for spinal cord injury/outcomes and assessment at the Kessler Foundation, said in the press release.

Data from the Spinal Cord Injury Model System Database were retrospectively analyzed for 1,766 adults with spinal cord injuries. Non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanic participants with spinal cord injuries were included. Functional outcomes were measured at admission, discharge and 1-year follow-up using the functional independence measure scale for self-care and mobility, according to the press release.

The researchers found non-Hispanic blacks with tetraplegia and paraplegia had significantly poorer gains in functional independent measure self-care and mobility scores compared with Hispanic and non-Hispanic white patients. Similar scores were seen at 1-year follow-up, according to the researchers.

Reference: Fyffe D. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2014; doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2014.07.398.

Disclosure: See the study for a full list of all authors’ relevant financial disclosures.