Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38466871›Full record

ArticleThe journal of spinal cord medicine2025

Predicting inpatient rehabilitation length of stay for adults with traumatic spinal cord injury.

Tara A Whitten, Adalberto Loyola Sanchez, Bina Gyawali, Elisavet D E Papathanassoglou, Jeffrey A Bakal, Jacqueline A Krysa

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The journal of spinal cord medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Tara A WhittenAlberta Strategy for Patient Oriented Research Support Unit (AbSPORU) Data Platform, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Canada.
Adalberto Loyola SanchezDivision of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-0082-2907
Bina GyawaliDivision of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Elisavet D E PapathanassoglouNeurosciences, Rehabilitation and Vision, Strategic Clinical Network, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Canada.
Jeffrey A BakalAlberta Strategy for Patient Oriented Research Support Unit (AbSPORU) Data Platform, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Canada.
Jacqueline A KrysaDivision of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMost post-injury traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) care occurs in the inpatient rehabilitation setting. The inpatient rehabilitation length of stay (R-LOS) has been shown to be a significant predictor of motor function restoration in persons with TSCI. Due to the complexity, and heterogeneity of individuals with TSCI, the R-LOS is challenging to predict at admission. PURPOSE: To identify the main predictors of R-LOS and derive an equation to estimate R-LOS in persons with TSCI.

methodsThis is a retrospective analysis of data from adults with TSCI from The Rick Hansen Spinal Cord Injury Registry in Alberta, Canada, who received rehabilitation care between May 10, 2005, and January 28, 2020. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine significant relationships between R-LOS and measures of participant demographics, length of stay, impairment and injury classification, and comorbidities.

resultsThe analysis included 736 adults with TSCI from an eligible cohort of 1365. The median R-LOS was 65 days (IQR 39-99 days), ranging from 1 to 469 days. Multivariate linear regression analysis identified two significant predictors of R-LOS, total FIM score and the injury classification. This model was used to derive a R-LOS prediction equation, which explained 34% of the variance in R-LOS.

conclusionWe developed a simple equation to predict R-LOS based on the level of impairment and total FIM scores in persons with TSCI. These data have implications for health system planning, improvement, and innovation, and provide insights to support further research into the predictors of R-LOS, identification of higher-risk individuals.

Indexed as

Length of StayNeurological RehabilitationSpinal Cord InjuriesAdultAgedAlbertaFemaleHumansInpatientsMaleMiddle AgedRegistriesRetrospective StudiesInpatient rehabilitationLength of staySpinal cord injury

Identifiers

PMID38466871
PMCPMC12499533

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.