| dc.description.abstract | Background: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation is a rehabilitation method currently used among patients with
spinal cord injury, but its results are not well defined yet. The objective of this study is to analyze the contribution of
rehabilitation with Neuro-Muscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) assessing Bone Mineral Density (BMD), quality
of life aspects and demographic characteristics, after 10 years under treatment.
Methods and findings: Retrospective longitudinal study between 2008 and 2020, at Spinal Cord Injury Outpatient
Clinic, University Hospital, with 24 participants with spinal cord injury in rehabilitation with NMES. Identification
questionnaire, Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and bone density exam were used for, respectively,
demographic analysis, quality of life and BMD. Data from 2008 were catalogued as Pi and current data as Pa.
Student’s T-test was used for statistical evaluation, being significantly relevant when p<0.05. Mean age was 45.3
years old, with 22 male individuals; 14 are paraplegic and 10 are tetraplegic; 13 individuals presented injury by
traffic accident, 2 by fall from height, 4 by dive, 4 by firearm injury and 1 by tumor; 11 individuals with cervical-level
injury and 13 thoracic-level injury, all with complete disability. FIM average Pi=80.2 and average Pa=84 (p=0.36);
BMD of vertebrae L1-L4 average Pi=-0.02 and average Pa=-0.17 (p=0.50); BMD of femoral neck average Pi=-2.1 and
average Pa=-1.9 (p=0.12); outcomes: 2 osteopenia and 1 osteoporosis for L1-L4; 18 osteopenia and 4 osteoporosis
for femoral neck. Limitations of this study include the small sample of individuals and their difficulty to maintain
10-years follow-up treatment.
Conclusion: Demographic characteristics were compatible to literature, except for the age. FIM score and BMD
remained similar to the beginning of treatment with NMES, concluding that there was stabilization of these
parameters during treatment. | |
