Classifying mobility recovery in children and youth with brain injury during hospital-based rehabilitation.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE This article describes mobility recovery for children and youth with traumatic and non-traumatic brain injury during hospital-based rehabilitation. RESEARCH DESIGN A retrospective, descriptive pre-test/post-test design was used. METHODS AND PROCEDURES One hundred and fifty-seven individuals with brain injury who were admitted for rehabilitation over a 5-year period were enrolled in this study. The Paediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) was used to document functional mobility at admission and discharge from the rehabilitation programme. The PEDI mobility classification system consisting of seven discrete levels of mobility was developed to provide clinically relevant and succinct outcome information. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS The majority of children with brain injury (69%) improved one or more mobility classification levels. Children in the traumatic brain injury group made greater changes (p = 0.001) in mobility recovery than children in the non-traumatic group. CONCLUSIONS Information about recovery using a well-defined functional classification system may assist with programme evaluation and facilitate optimal service delivery.