The relationship between knee muscle strength and walking ability after incomplete lumbar spinal cord injury / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore any correlation between knee muscle strength and walking ability after an incomplete lumbar spinal cord injury and the factors influencing walking ability.Methods:Twenty-seven persons with an incomplete lumbar spinal cord injury were tested. Their bilateral quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength and peak torque during knee extension and flexion were assessed. They completed the 10m walking time test (10MWT) and each person′s WWISCI II spinal cord injury walking index was evaluated. Spearman correlations among the data were computed and stepwise regression was used to analyze the factors significantly influencing the 10MWT and WISCI II results.Results:The average hamstring strength was significantly negatively correlated with the 10MWT times and WISCI II ratings. Hamstring torque also was negatively correlated with the 10MWT times, but positively correlated with the WISCI II ratings. The 10MWT times and WISCI II ratings were significantly inter-correlated. Hamstring strength was the best predictor of 10MWT times (accounting for 63% of the variance) and WISCI II ratings (64%), but quadriceps strength was also a secondary predictor.Conclusions:Knee muscle strength is a useful predictor of 10MWT times and WISCI II ratings after incomplete lumbar spinal cord injury. It can predict early walking ability to some extent.