Comparison of the revised 2000 American Spinal Injury Association classification standards with the 1996 guidelines.

Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine the level of agreement between the most recent change in the American Spinal Injury Association International Standards (2000) and the previous (1996) classification. In a spinal cord injury rehabilitation hospital, data were collected on 94 subjects who had an initial neurologic examination according to the International Standards within 1 wk of injury and again at 1 yr. Comparisons were examined of the level of agreement between the 1996 and 2000 revisions in classification of the motor incomplete levels and ability to prognosticate outcome at 1 yr on the basis of the initial examination. Near perfect agreement between the 1996 and 2000 revised guidelines in the classification of motor incomplete injuries was found, with no statistically significant difference for prognosticating neurologic recovery at 1 yr on the basis of the initial examination. The 2000 revisions do not offer a significant difference in American Spinal Injury Association impairment classification or in predicting neurologic recovery at 1 yr.