LAUSR

OBJECTIVE Determine trunk and shoulder muscle strength cutoff-points for functional independence and wheelchair skills, and verify the predictive capacity of relative and absolute peak torque in men with spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Rehabilitation Hospital Setting. PARTICIPANTS Fifty-four men with SCI were recruited and stratified into high and low paraplegia groups. INTERVENTIONS All subjects performed maximum strength tests for shoulder abduction/adduction (isokinetic) and trunk flexion/extension (isometric) to determine relative and absolute peak torque cutoff-points for the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM-III) and Adapted Manual Wheelchair Circuit (AMWC). MAIN OUTCOMES The primary outcomes were SCIM-III, AMWC-Brazil test, and strength variables (peak torques). Demographic characteristics obtained from participants' electronic medical records were the secondary outcomes used as predictor variables of functional independence. RESULTS The best predictive model for SCIM-III (R=0.78, P≤0.05) used the sum of trunk flexion and extension relative peak torque values to determine the cutoff-points (1.42 N.m/kg for a score of 70). Relative shoulder abduction peak torque was used in the predictive models for AMWC outcomes: performance score (R=0.77, P≤0.05 and cutoff-points of 0.97 N.m/kg for 300.0 meters) and 3-minute overground wheeling (R=0.72, P≤0.05 and cutoff-points of 0.96 N.m/kg for 18.5 seconds). CONCLUSIONS Relative peak torque showed better predictive capacity compared to absolute peak torque. Cutoff-points were established for relative muscle strength and could help health professionals set appropriate goals for individuals with SCI to achieve high functional independence and wheelchair ability.