ABSTRACT
Objective To analyze the outcomes of clinical management and rehabilitation interventions for earthquake victims with spinal cord injury. Methods Comprehensive rehabilitation intervention was conducted for 3 to 4 months with 51 earthquake victims with spinal cord injuries. The study involved their physical examination and on site interviews during hospitalization, and follow-up by telephone. Etiology, severity, complications and outcomes of rehabilitation and clinical management were analyzed. Results In 9.8% of the patients the spinal cord injury was at C7 or above, 5.9% at C8 to T6 , 68.6% at T7 to L2 , 13.7% at L3 to S2 and 2.0% at S2 or below. There were 22 complete injuries and 29 incomplete. After 4 months of training, 76.5% of the wounded reached wheelchair independence, 78.4% ambulated with an orthosis and 88.2% were partially independent in the activities of daily living.Conclusions The comprehensive rehabilitation intervention allowed most of the victims to resume an independent life. Their long-term care remains a challenge.