The purpose of this follow-up study was to evaluate the status of ambulation and usage braces for the spinal cord injury paraplegics at their home after discharge from hospital where they had received comprehensive rehabilitation including gait training. As well as the authors tried to find out the problems and their solutions according to the discontinuation of walking using braces in home.

The subjects of this study were 35 cases of spinal cord injured parplegics who were discharged from the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of Presbyterian Medical Center during the period January 1, 1976 to June 31, 1989. The results are as follows:

1) Twenty-six cases were male and 9 cases were female among the 35 cases: Twenty-two cases (62.8%) were in their third and fourth decades.

2) There were 22 cases of complete injury and 13 cases of incomplete injury.

3) Two cases were upper thoracic, 23 cases were thoracolumbar and 3 cases were lumbar cord injury patients.

4) Four of lower thoracic paraplegics and 13 of thoracolumbar paraplegics used bilateral standard long leg braces for standing or walking.

5) At discharge, there were 9 cases (25.7%) of non-ambulators, 6 cases (17.1%) of community ambulators, 5 cases (14.3%) of indoor functional ambulators and 12 cases (34.3%) of therapeutic ambulators. Three cases used their braces for standing only.

6) At follow-up, there were 17 cases (48.6%) of non-ambulators, 8 cases (22.8%) of community ambulators, 3 cases (8.6%) of indoor functional ambulators and 6 cases (17.1%) of therapeutic ambulators.

7) At follow-up, among 20 cases who had received gait training at hospital 9 cases (45%) discontinued walking with braces at home. The causes of discontinuation were architectual barrier in 5 cases, preference of wheelchair in 5 cases, lack of helpers in 3 cases, physical complications in 2 cases and lack of motivation in 1 case.