Rib Cage Contributions to Inspiratory Capacity in Patients with Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

Background Cervical spinal cord injury (CSI) often leads to impaired respiratory function, affecting the overall well-being of patients. This study aimed to investigate the influence of rib cage motion on inspiratory capacity in CSI patients. Methods We conducted a study with 11 CSI patients, utilising respiratory inductance plethysmography (RIP). We measured ventilatory volume by spirometry concurrently with RIP. Participants were instructed to perform maximal inspiratory efforts. Inspiratory capacity (IC) was calculated from spirometry waveforms. We converted the respiratory waveforms of the chest and abdomen into inspiratory volume measured by a spirometer. The inspiratory volume measured by the chest sensor was defined as VRIP-rib cage (VRIP-rc), and the inspiratory volume measured by the abdominal sensor was defined as VRIP-abdomen (VRIP-ab). Subsequently, the relationships of IC with VRIP-rc and VRIPab were assessed. Results The mean IC was 1.828 ± 0.459 L, with the mean VRIP-rc at 1.343 ± 0.568 L and the mean VRIP-ab at 0.485 ± 0.427 L. A significant correlation was observed between IC and VRIP-rc (r = 0.67, p = 0.02), indicating that rib cage motion significantly influences IC in CSI patients. Conclusion This study highlights the importance of rib cage motion in assessing inspiratory capacity in patients with CSI.