Improvement in activities of daily living in postoperative patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy undergoing intensive rehabilitation in a convalescent rehabilitation ward: A retrospective observational study

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) often leads to persistent impairment in motor function and activities of daily living (ADL) even after surgical decompression. Although postoperative rehabilitation is widely implemented, factors associated with ADL outcomes during the convalescent rehabilitation phase remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate ADL outcomes and their associated factors in postoperative patients with CSM admitted to a convalescent rehabilitation ward. This retrospective observational study included postoperative patients with CSM admitted to a convalescent rehabilitation ward. All patients underwent intensive multidisciplinary rehabilitation. ADL outcomes were assessed using the functional independence measure (FIM). Associations between ADL outcomes, disease severity, and rehabilitation-related factors were analyzed. At discharge, 91.2% of patients achieved independent transfer function, and 97.1% were discharged home. Although motor FIM scores at discharge remained lower in the severe group, greater improvement in motor FIM scores was associated with longer rehabilitation duration, particularly in patients with severe impairment. Most postoperative patients with CSM achieved favorable ADL outcomes during the convalescent rehabilitation phase. The findings suggest that the duration of intensive rehabilitation may be an important factor associated with motor function improvement after surgery for CSM, particularly in patients with severe impairment.