Reliability of the Mini-BESTest and Brief-BESTest for assessing patients with incomplete spinal cord injury.

Study Design: Single institution observational study.

Objectives: To investigate the ceiling and floor effects of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest), and Brief-BESTest, as well as to determine the intra- and inter-rater reliabilities and minimal detectable change (MDC) of the Mini-BESTest and Brief-BESTest in patients with acute and subacute incomplete cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) classified as AIS D.

Setting: Advanced critical care center of our university hospital.

Effects of early mobilization within 48 hours of injury in patients with incomplete cervical spinal cord injury.

Objective: To investigate the effects of early mobilization within 48 h of injury on motor function and walking ability in patients with incomplete cervical spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design: A retrospective observational study.

Setting: Intensive care unit or high care unit of a university hospital emergency center.

Reliability and validity of classification of senile postural deformity in mass examinations.

Nakada (1988) divided senile postural deformities into four types by visual observation: an extended type, an S-shaped type, a flexed type, and a hand-on-the-lap type. The purpose of this study was to investigate the inter-rater reliability and the discriminant validity of assessing the elderly spinal posture using a posture-measuring device developed by us and dividing postural deformities into the four types of Nakada's classification. Seventy-seven elderly persons (52 women and 25 men) who lived independently participated in the study.