Wheelchair exercise capacity in spinal cord injury up to five years after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation

Objective: To elucidate the course and determinants of wheelchair exercise capacity in spinal cord injury up to 5 years after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation, and to describe loss to follow-up.

Design: Prospective cohort study, with measurements at the start and discharge from inpatient rehabilitation, 1 and 5 years after discharge.

Subjects: A total of 225 wheelchair-dependent persons with spinal cord injury.

Methods: Random coefficient analysis of the course and determinants of peak aerobic power output (POpeak) and peak oxygen uptake ((V) over dotO(2peak)).

Results: A total of 162 participants attended one or more peak exercise tests and were analysed. Significant changes were found for both (V) over dotO(2peak) and POpeak between start and 5 years after discharge, and discharge and 5 years after discharge. No significant changes were found for (V) over dotO(2peak) and POpeak between 1 year and 5 years after discharge. Age, gender, level and completeness of lesion were determinants for level of (V) over dotO(2peak) and age, gender, and level of lesion for level of POpeak. No significant determinants were found for the course of wheelchair exercise capacity. The 63 participants who were not analysed were older, and showed more persons with a tetraplegia.

Conclusion: Wheelchair exercise capacity of persons with spinal cord injury stabilizes between 1 and 5 years after discharge. The participants appear to be a positive selection of the total study group.