ASIA Impairment Scale
Pronunciation: AY-zhuh IM-pair-ment SKALE
Also written as: AIS — ASIA Impairment Scale
A standardized five-grade classification system (A through E) developed by the American Spinal Injury Association to characterise the severity of motor and sensory deficits following spinal cord injury.
Full Definition
The ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS) classifies spinal cord injury completeness from Grade A (complete—no motor or sensory function preserved in sacral segments S4–S5) through Grade E (normal—motor and sensory function are normal). Intermediate grades (B, C, D) describe varying degrees of sensory and motor preservation below the neurological level of injury. In PM&R documentation, editors will encounter the AIS in physiatric consultation notes, SCI rehabilitation plans, and functional outcome reports. The scale's letter grades must be rendered exactly (A, B, C, D, or E) without substitution of descriptive words. Editors should also be alert to the distinction between 'neurological level of injury' and 'skeletal level of injury,' which are frequently confused in non-specialist drafting.
Usage
Usage note: Always render as 'ASIA Impairment Scale' on first reference with 'AIS' in parentheses. Do not confuse with the Frankel Scale, an older and now largely superseded predecessor.
In Context
- "The patient was classified as ASIA Impairment Scale Grade C, indicating motor-incomplete injury with more than half of key muscles below the neurological level graded less than 3/5." — Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Admission Note
- "Editors should not paraphrase AIS grade designations; the letter grade must be reproduced verbatim as documented by the examining physician." — Medical Editing Style Guide