Fifty-four individuals admitted for rehabilitation with a diagnosis of incomplete paraplegia due to trauma underwent serial prospective examinations to quantify motor and sensory recovery. Motor and sensory scoring guidelines recommended by the American Spinal Injury Association were used to assess changes. Lower extremity motor scores (LEMS) differed significantly (p < .03) between groups of patients partitioned by category of initial neurologic level of injury (NLI) with the following averages at 1 month after injury: 6.8 +/- 11.3 above T12, 15.0 +/- 8.2 at T12 and 18.3 +/- 11.4 below T12. However, the amount of motor recovery was independent of the NLI with the differences between the NLI groups remaining essentially constant from 1 month to 2 years. While the LEMS increased significantly (p < .001) an average of 11.9 +/- 8.7 points between 1 month and 1 year, the annualized rate of motor recovery rapidly declined in the first 6 months and then subsequently plateaued. All patients having a 1-month LEMS greater than 10 points (28 cases) with hip flexion or knee extension strength > or = 2/5 were able to ambulate in the community with a reciprocal gait pattern using crutches and orthoses at 1-year follow-up.