Factors related to improved American Spinal Injury Association grade of acute traumatic spinal cord injury

Table 1 Demographics and clinical characteristics of patients

	Total (n = 304)	Improved (n = 135)	Not-improved (n = 169)	P value
Demographics
Male, n (%)	257 (84.5)	111 (82.2)	146 (86.4)	0.318
Age, yr (mean ± SD)	49.81 ± 13.03	50.47 ± 12.78	49.28 ± 13.24	0.67
Co-morbidity, n (%)	92 (32.2)	38 (28.8)	53 (31.4)	0.455
ASCI characteristics
Etiology, n (%)				0.456
Motor vehicle crashes	90 (29.6)	41 (30.4)	49 (29.0)
High-altitude fall injuries	37 (12.2)	13 (9.6)	24 (14.2)
Unintentional falls	136 (44.7)	66 (48.9)	70 (41.4)
Bruise by heavy object	19 (6.3)	6 (4.4)	13 (7.7)
Other	22 (7.2)	9 (6.7)	13 (7.7)
Multiple trauma, n (%)	41 (13.5)	13 (9.6)	28 (16.6)	0.078
Fracture, n (%)	137 (45.1)	52 (38.5)	85 (50.3)	0.040a
Region of fracture, n (%)				0.042a
Cervical	269 (88.5)	126 (93.3)	143 (84.6)
Lumbar	24 (7.9)	5 (84.6)	19 (11.2)
Thoracic	11 (3.6)	4 (3.0)	7 (4.1)
ASIA grade at admission				0.0
A	78 (25.7)	14 (10.4)	64 (37.9)
B	33 (10.9)	16 (11.9)	17 (10.1)
C	66 (21.7)	47 (34.8)	19 (11.2)
D	127 (41.8)	58 (43.0)	69 (40.8)
Time from event to visit	3.06 ± 2.13	2.7 ± 1.96	32.9 ± 2.20	0.019a
Treatment (h)
Time from event to surgery				0.005c
Within 72 h	133 (43.8)	71 (52.6)	62 (36.7)
After 72 h	171 (56.3)	64 (47.4)	107 (63.3)
Steroid usage	208 (68.4)	87 (64.4)	169 (71.6)	0.182
Complications	100 (32.9)	33 (24.4)	67 (39.6)	0.005c
Hospital stay (d)	9.89 ± 10.11	7.79 ± 5.92	11.55 ± 12.25	0.002c
ICU admission, n (%)	95 (31.3)	34 (25.2)	61 (36.1)	0.041a

^aP < 0.05.

^cP < 0.005. ASCI: Acute spinal cord injury; ASIA: American Spinal Injury Association; ICU: Intensive care unit.