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. 2024 Mar 27:5:1272682.
doi: 10.3389/fresc.2024.1272682. eCollection 2024.

Assessments and interventions on body functions, structures and activity to prepare adults with acute spinal cord injury or disease for participation: a scoping review

Sophie Irrgang  1   2 , Sandra Himmelhaus  1 , Kirstin Allek  3 , Isabelle Debecker  4 , Armin Gemperli  1   2 , Karen Kynast  5 , Anne von Reumont  5 , Anke Scheel-Sailer  2   6
Affiliations

Assessments and interventions on body functions, structures and activity to prepare adults with acute spinal cord injury or disease for participation: a scoping review

Sophie Irrgang et al. Front Rehabil Sci. .

Abstract

Introduction: In the acute phase after a spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D), various therapeutic assessments and interventions are applied with the goal of restoring structures, preventing complications and preparing the patient as best as possible for further activity and finally participation. The goal was to identify and evaluate the available evidence on assessments and interventions for body functions and structures to prepare adults with acute spinal cord SCI/D for activity and participation during the first 14 days.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted. The search was performed on June 19, 2023 using the databases PubMed, PEDro, Cochrane library and Embase. These were screened for studies including patients with acute SCI/D and physiotherapeutic or occupational therapy assessments and interventions. Only studies in English or German published between 2012 and 2023 were included.

Results: Twelve publications met the inclusion criteria, namely three systematic reviews, two randomized controlled trials, two observational studies and five clinical practice guidelines. Assessments as the Spinal Cord Independence Measure, as well as exercises such as daily passive mobilization of body structures against contractures were used in the entire population, while others were only applied in subgroups of SCI/D such as the Graded Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensation and Prehension or functional electrical stimulation with and without additional movements. The methodological quality of the studies found varied greatly from good to very poor.

Discussion: Heterogeneity in research design and study population as well as lack of high-quality studies do not cover the standard of clinical management in the acute phase and further comprehensive research is needed.

Keywords: acute phase; functioning; occupational therapy; physiotherapy; spinal cord injury.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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