Physical fitness in people with a spinal cord injury: the association with complications and duration of rehabilitation

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between physical fitness and its recovery over time on the one hand, and complications and duration of phases of rehabilitation on the other. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective cohort study at eight rehabilitation centres. SUBJECTS: People with a spinal cord injury were assessed four times: at the start of active rehabilitation (n = 110), three months later (n = 92), at discharge (n = 137) and a year after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation (n = 91). MAIN MEASURES: Physical fitness was defined as aerobic capacity, determined at each occasion by the peak oxygen uptake (peak Vo(2); L/min) and the peak power output (peak PO; W) during a maximal exercise test. On these occasions, spasticity, musculoskeletal and neurogenic pain were determined (1 = present; 0 = absent). During inpatient rehabilitation, complications (urinary tract infection, pulmonary infection or pressure sore) and bed rest were registered (1 = complication; 0 = no complications, and 1 = bed rest; 0 = no bed rest). Complications and bed rest occurring during the year after discharge were registered similarly. RESULTS: Multilevel random coefficient analyses revealed associations in multivariate models (P