Skip to main content
Physio Nexus Academy logo
Physio Nexus Academy
All published case reports
PNA RESEARCH CASE LIBRARYNeurological Rehabilitation · 2026

The Integration of Aerobic Exercise in Rehabilitation of a Subacute Inpatient With Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Report

Lorenzo D’Orio, Adriana Semprini, Elisa Barbiani, Francesco Giuseppe Materazzi

Spinal Cord Series and Cases · 2026 · DOI: 10.1038/s41394-026-00736-2

Read original paper Open DOI

Free full text available · Open access; cite the original authors and source.

THE CASE IN PLAIN ENGLISH

What happened?

A 25-year-old person with C6 AIS B tetraplegia following a diving accident was in the subacute phase of rehabilitation. The case report describes integrating aerobic training into conventional inpatient rehabilitation.

Clinical findings

  • C6 neurological level with AIS B classification and complete motor tetraplegia.
  • The patient was clinically stable and had completed an earlier period of specialised spinal rehabilitation.
  • Monitoring included motor function, Spinal Cord Independence Measure, WHO quality-of-life measures, heart-rate reserve, respiratory rate, perceived exertion, blood pressure and oxygen saturation.

Rehabilitation described in the report

  • Aerobic training was integrated with conventional therapy twice daily, five days per week, with additional hydro-kinesis and standing-frame sessions on weekends.
  • Upper-limb cycle ergometry used 10 minutes at 20% of predicted heart rate, five minutes rest, then five minutes at 35% of predicted heart rate; vital signs and exertion were monitored.

Reported outcomes

  • After six days, the authors observed preliminary adaptations, including changes in perceived exertion during aerobic sessions.
  • The short intervention period and single-patient design do not establish durable functional benefit.

Clinical lessons to consider

  • Aerobic exercise may be integrated into SCI rehabilitation when medical stability and monitoring permit.
  • Use individualised intensity and monitor cardiovascular and respiratory responses in people with high-level SCI.
  • Interpret early physiological changes separately from long-term functional recovery.

Limitations — what this case cannot tell us

  • Single case report with only six days of intervention and no control group.
  • The authors call for larger studies and longer follow-up.

Original source

Lorenzo D’Orio, Adriana Semprini, Elisa Barbiani, Francesco Giuseppe Materazzi. “The Integration of Aerobic Exercise in Rehabilitation of a Subacute Inpatient With Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Report.” Spinal Cord Series and Cases, 2026. DOI: 10.1038/s41394-026-00736-2

View the original publication

This page is an independently written educational summary, not a reproduction of the full paper. Check the original article for complete methods, outcome tables, references and licensing.