Factors Affecting Falls in Spinal Cord Injuries - Is Accompaniment Important in Falls?

Objective : This study aims to evaluate falls occurring during inpatient rehabilitation after spinal cord injury and the impact of caregiver presence on fall risk. Materials and Methods: Patients with spinal cord injury who underwent inpatient rehabilitation at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic between 2020 and 2023 were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups: those with a history of falls (Group 1) and those without a history of falls (Group 2). Variables assessed included demographic data, etiology, ASIA score, functional status, caregiver presence, and fall timing. Statistical analyses were conducted using the Chi-Square test and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: A total of 98 patients were included in the study. No significant relationship was found between falls and gender, caregiver presence, etiology, or functional status (p > 0.05). However, a statistically significant association was identified between ASIA scores and falls (p = 0.048). Patients with ASIA C classification were found to have the highest fall risk. According to the Mann-Whitney U test results, no significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of age and SCIM scores, whereas a borderline significant difference was noted in WISCI scores (p = 0.058). Conclusion: Factors such as gender and etiology do not appear to significantly affect fall risk in individuals with spinal cord injuries. Moreover, no statistically significant evidence was found indicating that caregiver presence reduces fall risk. Disease severity is directly related to functional independence (SCIM) and walking ability (WISCI). These findings highlight the need for developing individualized fall prevention strategies during the rehabilitation process.