Expanding the indications for measurement of objective functional impairment in spine surgery: A pilot study of four patients with diseases affecting the spinal cord.

•The TUG test and the 6WT are feasible to apply in ambulatory patients with spinal cord affection.•The objective measurement of functional impairment resembled the functional status of four patients in this pilot study.•The TUG test and the 6WT may detect and quantify functional decline and/or improvement resulting from spinal cord affection.•Modern smartphone app-based technology may help to accurately quantify impairment, which is key for decision-making and evaluating the efficacy of interventions.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(© 2022 The Authors.)