A taxonomy for responsiveness

Improvement of fatigue in generalised myasthenia gravis with zilucoplan

BACKGROUND

Fatigue is a debilitating symptom of myasthenia gravis (MG). The impact of fatigue on MG can be assessed by Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QoL) Short Form Fatigue scale. Transformation of raw Neuro-QoL fatigue scores to T-scores is a known approach for facilitating clinical interpretation of clinically meaningful and fatigue severity thresholds.

METHODS

In the Phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled RAISE study (NCT04115293), adults with acetylcholine receptor autoantibody-positive generalised MG (MG Foundation of America Disease Class II-IV) were randomised 1:1 to daily subcutaneous zilucoplan 0.3 mg/kg or placebo for 12 weeks. Patients completing RAISE could opt to receive zilucoplan 0.3 mg/kg in an ongoing, open-label extension study, RAISE-XT (NCT04225871). In this post-hoc analysis, we evaluated the long-term effect of zilucoplan on fatigue in RAISE patients who entered RAISE-XT. We report change in Neuro-QoL Short Form Fatigue T-scores and fatigue severity levels from RAISE baseline to Week 60.

RESULTS

Mean Neuro-QoL Short Form Fatigue T-scores improved from baseline to Week 12 in the zilucoplan group (n = 86) with a clinically meaningful difference versus placebo (n = 88; least squares mean difference: - 3.61 (nominal p-value = 0.0060]), and these improvements continued further to Week 60. At Week 12, more patients on zilucoplan (n = 34, 47.2%) experienced improvements in ≥ 1 fatigue severity level from baseline versus placebo (n = 23, 28.4%; p = 0.017). At Week 60, most (n = 55, 65.5%) patients had mild fatigue or none.

CONCLUSION

Treatment with zilucoplan demonstrated statistical and clinically meaningful improvements in fatigue scores and severity versus placebo during RAISE, which were sustained to Week 60 in RAISE-XT.

Psychiatric risks for worsened mental health after psychedelic use

BACKGROUND

Resurgent psychedelic research has largely supported the safety and efficacy of psychedelic therapy for the treatment of various psychiatric disorders. As psychedelic use and therapy increase in prevalence, so does the importance of understanding associated risks. Cases of prolonged negative psychological responses to psychedelic therapy seem to be rare; however, studies are limited by biases and small sample sizes. The current analytical approach was motivated by the question of whether rare but significant adverse effects have been under-sampled in psychedelic research studies.

METHODS

A "bottom margin analysis" approach was taken to focus on negative responders to psychedelic use in a pool of naturalistic, observational prospective studies (N = 807). We define "negative response" by a clinically meaningful decline in a generic index of mental health, that is, one standard error from the mean decrease in psychological well-being 4 weeks post-psychedelic use (vs pre-use baseline). We then assessed whether a history of diagnosed mental illness can predict negative responses.

RESULTS

We find that 16% of the cohort falls into the "negative responder" subset. Parsing the sample by self-reported history of psychiatric diagnoses, results revealed a disproportionate prevalence of negative responses among those reporting a prior personality disorder diagnosis (31%). One multivariate regression model indicated a greater than four-fold elevated risk of adverse psychological responses to psychedelics in the personality disorder subsample (b = 1.425, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

We infer that the presence of a personality disorder may represent an elevated risk for psychedelic use and hypothesize that the importance of psychological support and good therapeutic alliance may be increased in this population.

Developing standards for MRI evaluation of joints in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis utilizing the temporomandibular joint as a model

The treatment of a patient with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is best monitored with standardized and validated tools to measure joint changes over time. Treatment approaches are best indicated if the clinicians are aware of the structural status of the joint at a given time, especially in anatomically deep joints for which clinical assessment is limited. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is of utmost importance for assessment of deep joints and extra-articular soft tissue of the entire body for which ultrasound may be suboptimal. Because the distinction between pathologic and physiologic joint changes on MRI is key for proper diagnosis and treatment of patients with arthropathies, a comprehensive standardized approach is needed to effectively measure outcomes of growing joints of children with JIA. Such an approach is essential for both clinical assessment and to conduct clinical trials in patients with JIA treated in different centers around the world. To meet this need, several international imaging collaborative research groups have been developing MRI scales over the past years, including the MRI in JIA (JAMRI) special interest group within the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) research network. This manuscript reviews the efforts of the OMERACT JAMRI working group to generate and validate pediatric MRI scoring systems for different joints in children with JIA that can have ubiquitous utilization anywhere in the world. In particular, it describes the different steps of development and validation of an MRI scale using the TMJ as a model.

The psychometric properties of the modified fear of falling avoidance behavior questionnaire in Parkinson's disease and older adults

Introduction

The Fear of Falling Avoidance Behavior Questionnaire (FFABQ) has good psychometric properties. However, we have recently modified the FFABQ (mFFABQ) to improve the clarity of the questions and Likert responses. This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of this modified version in older adults and people with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods

A total of 88 participants, 39 with PD (age = 72.2 ± 9.5; 29 males, 10 females) and 49 older adults (age = 72.8 ± 5.0; 13 males, 36 females), answered the mFFABQ twice, separated by 1 week, for test-retest reliability. Construct validity was evaluated through correlational analyses with fall history, Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go, 30-Second Sit to Stand, Sensory Organization Test, Zung Anxiety Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Consequences of Falling Questionnaire (CoFQ), and average daily activity levels using an activity monitor.

Results

The mFFABQ had good overall test-retest reliability (intraclass correlational coefficient [ICC] = 0.822; older adult ICC = 0.781, PD ICC = 0.806). The mFFABQ correlated with fall history (r = -0.430) and exhibited high correlation with the ABC (rho = -0.804) and moderate correlations with CoFQ (rho = 0.582) and BBS (rho = -0.595). The mFFABQ also correlated with time stepping (rho = -0.298) and number of steps (rho = -0.358).

Conclusion

These results provide supportive evidence for the reliability and validity of the mFFABQ in older adults and people with PD, which supports its suitability as a clinical and research tool for the assessment of fear of falling avoidance behavior.

Assessing Responsiveness of the Trapeziometacarpal Arthrosis Symptoms and Disability Questionnaire

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to assess the responsiveness of the Trapeziometacarpal Arthrosis Symptoms and Disability (TASD) questionnaire after corticosteroid injections and operative management for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis (TMC-OA).

METHODS

This longitudinal cohort study included patients with TMC-OA who underwent treatment (corticosteroid injection or surgery). Measurements occurred at baseline and follow-up time points: 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. Patient measures were collected electronically using a data repository platform. The TASD is a validated psychometric patient-administered scale. We examined responsiveness by correlating the TASD scores with another known effective indicator of change (shortened Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand [QuickDASH]). Repeated score measurements over time were analyzed using analysis of variance, and correlations between questionnaires were reported with repeated measures correlation and Pearson correlation coefficients.

RESULTS

The nonsurgical cohort undergoing corticosteroid injections included 31 (66%) women and 16 (34%) men, and the surgical cohort included 29 (71%) women and 12 (29%) men. Both the QuickDASH and the TASD captured a statistically significant improvement in symptom burden postoperatively (P < .0001 for both questionnaires), whereas no statistical significance was noted after corticosteroid injections (P = .45 and P = .34, respectively). There was a strong correlation between QuickDASH and TASD questionnaires (r = 0.87, P < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

The TASD is a promising TMC-OA-specific questionnaire to capture responsiveness following treatment, particularly following surgery. The responsiveness of TASD was demonstrated in the TMC-OA cohort. Further research is needed to define a minimal clinically important difference.

Minimal important change and difference in health outcome: An overview of approaches, concepts, and methods

OBJECTIVE

To provide an overview of approaches, concepts, and methods used to define and assess minimal important change and difference in health outcome.

METHOD

A narrative review of the literature, guided by a conceptual framework.

RESULTS

We distinguish between (i) interpretation of health outcome in individuals versus groups, (ii) change within individuals or groups versus difference between change within individuals or groups; and (iii) the responder approach (based on the proportion of patients that obtain a defined response) versus the group average approach (based on the average amount of change in a group). We review approaches, concepts, and methods.

CONCLUSION

By bringing together and juxtaposing various approaches, concepts, and methods, we set a precursory step in the direction of consensus building in the field concerned with defining and assessing minimal important change and difference in health outcome. We emphasize the need for conceptual clarification and terminological standardization. We argue that assessing minimal importance of change and difference in health outcome is essentially a value judgment involving a range of considerations and perspectives.

Reproducibility, criterion-related validity, and minimal clinically important difference of the stair negotiation test after total Hip arthroplasty

OBJECTIVE

To determine the reproducibility, criterion-related validity, and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of the stair negotiation test (SNT) after total hip arthroplasty (THA).

METHODS

Sixty patients who underwent THA were included in this study. They performed the SNT and rated their difficulty in stair negotiation (question 7 of the Oxford Hip Score [OHSQ7]) before and 6 months after surgery. The SNT determined the time taken by a patient to ascend, turn around, and descend the stairs (15 cm × 4 steps) and was measured twice each time. As a measure of reproducibility, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC1,1) was calculated using the preoperative SNT. As an index of criterion-related validity, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between the better score of two trials in the preoperative SNT and the OHSQ7. The MCID of the SNT was calculated using the distribution-based method and the anchor-based method. The change in the OHSQ7 between before and after surgery was used as an anchor in the latter method.

RESULTS

The ICC1,1 of the SNT was 0.97. The SNT was significantly correlated with the OHSQ7 (r = 0.40, p < .05). Moreover, the anchor-based MCID of the SNT was 1.98 seconds.

CONCLUSION

The SNT is an objective assessable test of stair negotiation ability in post-THA patients that has good reproducibility and moderate criterion-related validity. Changes in the SNT beyond the MCID (1.98 seconds) represent clinically important changes in stair negotiation ability.

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Falls Behavioral (FaB-Brazil) Scale

PURPOSE

To develop and cross-culturally adapt a Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Falls Behavioral Scale (FaB-Brazil) and to verify its psychometric properties.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The translation and cross-cultural adaptation process of the scale followed standard guidelines. The FaB-Brazil scale was applied to 93 community-dwelling older people. Cronbach's alpha was calculated to evaluate internal consistency and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) to evaluate interrater and test-retest reliability. The standard error of measurement (SEM), minimal detectable change (MDC), ceiling and floor effects, convergent and discriminative validity were evaluated. A significance level of .05 was set for statistical analyses.

RESULTS

Internal consistency was moderate (α = 0.73). An excellent inter-rater (ICC = 0.93; p < 0.001) and a good test-retest (ICC = 0.79; p < 0.001) reliability were found. The SEM was 0.27 and MDC was 0.53. Neither ceiling nor floor effects were found. Convergent validity was established by the positive correlations between the FaB-Brazil scale, age, and functional mobility, and by the negative correlations between the FaB-Brazil scale and balance confidence, community mobility and EuroQol-5D (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found between males and females and between non-fallers and fallers.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results offer evidence for the reliability and validity of the FaB-Brazil scale for community-dwelling older people.Implications for RehabilitationFall-related behaviors should be part of the fall risk assessment of community-dwelling older people.The Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Falls Behavioral Scale (FaB-Brazil) is reliable and valid for assessing fall-related behaviors in community-dwelling older people.The FaB-Brazil scale may be used to raise awareness about potential fall hazards and to guide fall prevention programs.

Responsiveness of specific and generic patient-reported outcome measures in patients with plantar fasciopathy

PURPOSE

To evaluate and compare responsiveness characteristics for the Foot Function Index revised short form (FFI-RS), RAND-12 Health Status Inventory (RAND-12), and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), in patients with plantar fasciopathy receiving non-surgical treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study was conducted on a sub-group of patients from an ongoing randomised controlled trial. One-hundred fifteen patients were included. The patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were applied at baseline and after 6 months. Responsiveness was calculated using standardised response mean and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. ROC curves were used to compute the minimal important change (MIC) for the outcome measures.

RESULTS

The region specific FFI-RS had best responsiveness and the NRS at rest had lowest responsiveness.

CONCLUSION

FFI-RS were marginally more responsive than the other PROMs. Responsiveness and MIC estimates should be regarded as indicative rather than fixed estimates.

Validation of the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale for Parkinson's Disease of Persian Version

Objective

We aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the NonMotor Symptoms Scale (NMSS) in Iranian patients with PD.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted in patients with PD. After the cross-cultural adaptation of the NMSS, the acceptability, reliability, precision, and validity of the Persian NMSS were evaluated. For this purpose, in addition to NMSS, we used the following measures: Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease (SCOPA)-Autonomic (SCOPA-AUT), SCOPA-Sleep, Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaire, Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-8 questions (PDQ-8), SCOPA-Motor, SCOPA-Psychiatric Complications (SCOPA-PC), SCOPA-Cognition (SCOPA-COG), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Hoehn and Yahr Staging (H and Y), and Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS).

Results

186 patients were enrolled (mean age 64.46 ± 9.9 years; disease duration 5.59 ± 3.99 years; 118 (63.4%) male; mean NMSS score 52.01 ± 38.54). Neither the floor effect (2.7%) nor the ceiling effect (0.5%) was seen in NMSS total score. Cronbach's alpha of total NMSS was 0.84. The test-retest reliability was 0.93 for the NMSS total and 0.81-0.96 for domains. The standard error of measurement (SEM) was lower than half of the standard deviation for NMSS total and all domains. NMSS total showed a high correlation with UPDRS I (r_s = 0.84), UPDRS II (r_s = 0.58), PDQ-8 (r_s = 0.61), BDI (r_s = 0.71), SCOPA-sleep (r_s = 0.60), and SCOPA AUT (r_s = 0.66). NMSS has an acceptable discriminative validity based on disease duration and severity of disease according to H and Y staging.

Conclusion

The Persian NMSS is a valid and reliable measure for evaluating the burden of nonmotor symptoms in Iranian patients with PD.

Responsiveness and construct validity of EPIC-26, AQoL-6D and SF-6D following treatment in prostate cancer

PURPOSE

To assess construct validity and responsiveness of the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite Instrument (EPIC-26) relative to the Short-Form Six-Dimension (SF-6D) and Assessment of Quality of Life 6-Dimension (AQoL-6D) in patients following treatment for prostate cancer.

METHODS

Retrospective prostate cancer registry data were used. The SF-6D, AQoL-6D, and EPIC-26 were collected at baseline and one year post treatment. Analyses were based on Spearman's correlation coefficient, Bland-Altman plots and intra-class correlation coefficient, Kruskal Wallis, and Effect Size and the Standardised Response Mean for responsiveness.

RESULTS

The study sample was comprised of 1915 patients. Complete case analysis of 3,697 observations showed moderate evidence of convergent validity between EPIC-26 vitality/hormonal domain and AQoL-6D (r = 0.45 and 0.54) and SF-6D (r = 0.52 and 0.56) at both timepoints. Vitality/hormonal domain also showed moderate convergent validity with coping domain of AQoL-6D (r = 0.45 and 0.54) and with role (r = 0.41 and 0.49) and social function (r = 0.47 and 0.50) domains of SF-6D at both timepoints, and with independent living (r = 0.40) and mental health (r = 0.43) of AQoL-6D at one year. EPIC-26 sexual domain had moderate convergent validity with relationship domain (r = 0.42 and 0.41) of AQoL-6D at both timepoints. Both AQoL-6D and SF-6D did not discriminate between age groups and tumour stage at both timepoints but AQoL-6D discriminated between outcomes for different treatments at one year. All EPIC-26 domains discriminated between age groups and treatment at both timepoints. The EPIC-26 was more responsive than AQoL-6D and SF-6D between baseline and one year following treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

AQoL-6D can be used in combination with EPIC-26 in place of SF-12. Although EPIC-26 is not utility based, its popularity amongst clinicians and ability to discriminate between disease-specific characteristics and post-treatment outcomes in clinical trials makes it a candidate for use within cost-effectiveness analyses. The generic measure provides a holistic assessment of quality of life and is suitable for generating quality adjusted life years (QALYs).

Responsiveness and trajectory of changes in the rating of everyday arm-use in the community and home (REACH) scale over the first-year post-stroke

OBJECTIVE

To examine the trajectory of the Rating of Everyday Arm-use in the Community and Home (REACH) scores over the first-year post-stroke, determine if REACH scores are modified by baseline impairment level and explore the responsiveness of the REACH scale through hypothesis testing.

DESIGN

Consecutive sample longitudinal study.

SETTING

Participants were recruited from an acute stroke unit and followed up at three, six, and 12 months post-stroke.

PARTICIPANTS

Seventy-three participants with upper limb weakness (Shoulder Abduction and Finger Extension score ≤ 8).

MAIN MEASURES

The REACH scale is a six-level self-report classification scale that captures how the affected upper limb is being used in one's own environment. The Fugl-Meyer Upper Limb Assessment (FMA-UL), Stroke Upper Limb Capacity Scale (SULCS), accelerometer-based activity count ratio and Global Rating of Change Scale (GRCS) were used to capture upper limb impairment, capacity, and use.

RESULTS

The following proportions of participants improved at least one REACH level: 64% from baseline to three months, 37% from three to six months and 13% from six to 12 months post-stroke. The trajectory of REACH scores over time was associated with baseline impairment. Change in REACH had a moderate correlation to change in SULCS and the GRCS but not FMA-UL or the activity count ratio.

CONCLUSIONS

Results of hypothesis testing provide preliminary evidence of the responsiveness of the REACH scale. On average, individuals with severe impairment continued to show improvement in use over the first year, while those with mild/moderate impairment plateaued and a small proportion decreased in the early chronic phase.

Examination of Dry Needling Dose and Effect Duration for Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instability

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a single treatment vs serial dry needling (DN) treatments of the fibularis longus on individuals with chronic ankle instability and to determine the longevity of any effect found.

METHODS

Thirty-five adults with chronic ankle instability (24.17 ± 7.01 years, 167.67 ± 9.15 cm, 74.90 ± 13.23 kg) volunteered for a university laboratory repeated-measures study. All participants completed patient-reported outcomes and were objectively tested using the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT), threshold to detect passive motion (TTDPM) measurements, and single limb time-to-boundary measurements. Participants received DN treatment to the fibularis longus once weekly for 4 weeks on the affected lower extremity by a single physical therapist. Data were collected 5 times: baseline 1 week before initial treatment (T0), pre-treatment (T1A), immediately after the first treatment (T1B), after 4 weekly treatments (T2), and 4 weeks after the cessation of treatment (T3).

RESULTS

Significant improvements were found for clinician-oriented (SEBT-Composite P < .001; SEBT-Posteromedial P = .024; SEBT-Posterolateral P < .001; TTDPM-Inversion P = .042) and patient-oriented outcome measures (Foot and Ankle Ability Measure-Activities of Daily Living P < .001; Foot and Ankle Ability Measure-Sport P = .001; Fear Avoidance Belief Questionnaire P = .021) following a single DN treatment. Compounding effects from additional treatments exhibited improvement of TTDPM (T1B to T2). No significant losses were noted 4 weeks after cessation of treatment (T2 to T3).

CONCLUSION

For the participants in this study, outcomes improved immediately following the first DN treatment. This improvement was sustained but not further improved with subsequent treatments.

Responsiveness of electromyographically assessed skeletal muscle inactivity: methodological exploration and implications for health benefits

Prolonged sedentary behaviour is detrimental to health due to low contractile activity in large lower extremity muscle groups. This muscle inactivity can be measured with electromyography (EMG), but it is unknown how methodological factors affect responsiveness longitudinally. This study ranks 16 different EMG inactivity thresholds based on their responsiveness (absolute and standardized effect size, responsiveness) using data from a randomized controlled trial targeted at reducing and breaking up sedentary time (InPact, ISRCTN28668090). EMG inactivity duration and usual EMG inactivity bout duration (weighted median of bout lengths) were measured from large lower extremity muscle groups (quadriceps, hamstring) with EMG-sensing shorts. The results showed that the EMG inactivity threshold above signal baseline (3 μV) provided overall the best responsiveness indices. At baseline, EMG inactivity duration of 66.8 ± 9.6% was accumulated through 73.9 ± 36.0 s usual EMG inactivity bout duration, both of which were reduced following the intervention (-4.8 percentage points, -34.3 s). The proposed methodology can reduce variability in longitudinal designs and the detailed results can be used for sample size calculations. Reducing EMG inactivity duration and accumulating EMG inactivity in shorter bouts has a potential influence on muscle physiology and health.

Minimal clinically important difference for the Mandarin version of the Tinnitus Questionnaire determined via anchor-based and distribution-based methods

BACKGROUND

The previous study showed that the Mandarin Tinnitus Questionnaire (MTQ) has satisfactory reliability and validity. We have also completed the classification of the severity of tinnitus based on MTQ scores. In clinical studies, efficacy is often judged by whether results are statistically significant; however, statistical significance does not necessarily equate to clinical significance, whereas the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) of the scale does. In the following project, we will explore the MCID of the MTQ.

METHODS

We recruited participants aged 18 years and above who sought treatment for primary or secondary tinnitus at the Otorhinolaryngology Department of the Hearing Center of West China Hospital, Sichuan University from September 2020 to September 2021. The participants had to undergo the following four assessments of tinnitus severity: doctor evaluation, self-report, the MTQ, and the visual analog scale (VAS), all at baseline and at the follow-up. The MCIDs of the MTQ were established via anchor-based and distribution-based methods. The anchor method used the VAS and self-reported clinical impression as anchors and defined the treatment effectiveness by mean/median and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, while methods of effect size (ES), standard error of measurement (SEM), and reliability change index (RCI) were used in distribution-based methods.

RESULTS

A total of 115 patients were investigated in this study, 57.4% of whom were women. The average age was 43.2 ± 13.20 years. The average MTQ and VAS scores at baseline were 31.3 ± 14.90 and 5.03 ± 2.24, respectively, while the average MTQ and VAS scores at follow-up were 15.9 ± 11.70 and 3.58 ± 2.48, respectively. Moreover, in terms of self-reported clinical impressions, 19 patients indicated that they were cured (16.5%), 24 that it was much better (20.9%), 63 that there was no change (54.8%), and 9 that it was much worse (7.8%). The MCIDs for the change in total MTQ ranged from 6.29 to 19.00, those for improvement from 1.09 to 22.75, and those for deterioration from 3.50 to 7.64.

CONCLUSION

We selected an absolute value of 7.5 as the MCID for the MTQ score. An increase in MTQ score more than 7.5 was considered aggravation of tinnitus, and a decrease in MTQ score more than 7.5 was considered a reduction in tinnitus.

Reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the Japanese version of the EORTC QLQ-ELD14 in evaluating the health-related quality of life of elderly patients with cancer

PURPOSE

This study evaluated the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the Japanese version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-ELD14 and measured the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of elderly Japanese patients with cancer aged ≥ 60 and ≥ 70 years.

METHODS

The study recruited elderly Japanese patients with cancer aged ≥ 60 (≥ 70) years (n = 1803 [n = 1236]). The EORTC QLQ-ELD14 was evaluated for reliability, validity, responsiveness, and correlations of changes in score between the EORTC QLQ-ELD14 and the EORTC QLQ-C30 before and after the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS

In both age groups, the proportion of missing items was low (< 3%). Cronbach's α was good at ≥ 0.70, except for two of the seven items. All the intraclass coefficient constants were good at ≥ 0.70. The concurrent validity was good but correlation with the EORTC QLQ-C30 was not strong, except for the hypothesis items. Regarding the assessment of responsiveness, only one item ("maintaining purpose") of the EORTC QLQ-ELD14 worsened (- 6.14 ± 29.20, standard response of mean > 0.2) after the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes in score between the EORTC QLQ-ELD14 and the "global health status/QOL" and "summary score" of the EORTC QLQ-C30 had moderate-to-high negative correlations for all items, except two. Hypotheses to evaluate construct validity were accepted at 90%, while responsiveness was accepted at 80%.

CONCLUSION

The Japanese version of the EORTC QLQ-ELD14 questionnaire appears to have acceptable reliability, validity, and responsiveness to evaluate HRQOL in elderly Japanese people with cancer.

Clinically meaningful change for the chair stand test: monitoring mobility in integrated care for older people

BACKGROUND

Clinically meaningful changes in the five-repetition chair stand test are essential for monitoring mobility in integrated care for older people. Recommendations for the clinically meaningful change of the chair stand test are not well known. Our study aimed to estimate the absolute and relative clinically meaningful changes for older adults' five-repetition chair stand test.

METHODS

We applied distribution-based and anchor-based methods in addition to receiver operator characteristics analyses to a population-based study of community-dwelling adults (SAGE Mexico study, n = 897) to derive the clinically meaningful change in the chair stand test. We used three self-reported clinical anchors: moving around, vigorous activities, and walking 1 km. Our primary outcome was the incidence of disability for basic activities of daily living (ADL). Secondly, we examined our estimates of clinically meaningful change in a clinical trial population of healthy volunteers (MAPT, France, study n = 1575) concerning the risk of incident ADL disability.

RESULTS

The age of SAGE Mexico participants ranged from 60 to 96 years; mean (SD) = 69.0 (6.2); 54.4% were female. Their baseline chair stand time averaged 12.1 s (SD = 3 s). Forty-eight participants (5.6%) showed incident disability over 3 years. The absolute and relative clinically meaningful change cut points found over 3 years of follow-up were 2.6 s and 27.7%, respectively. Absolute clinically meaningful change ranged from 0.5 to 4.7 s, depending on the estimation method. Relative clinically meaningful change ranged from 9.6 to 46.2%. SAGE Mexico participants with absolute and relative clinically meaningful declines (increasing 2.6 s and 27.7% from baseline time, respectively) showed an increased risk of ADL disability [aRR = 1.93; P = 0.0381; 95% CI (1.05, 3.46) and aRR = 2.27; P = 0.0157; 95% CI (1.22, 4.10)], respectively, compared with those without a clinically meaningful decline. MAPT participants [age range = 70-94; mean (SD) = 75.3 (4.4); 64.8% female; incident ADL disability over 5 years = 145(14.8%)] with a relative clinically meaningful decline (≥27.7% from baseline over 3 years) had a 74% higher risk of incident ADL disability than their counterparts [aHR = 1.74; P = 0.016; CI95% (1.11, 2.72); mean follow-up of 58 months].

CONCLUSIONS

Community-dwelling older adults with an increase of 3 s or 28% in chair stand test performance over 3 years (approximately 1 s or 10% per year) could be the target of interventions to enhance mobility and prevent incident disability.

Responsiveness and minimal clinically important difference of the five times sit-to-stand test in ambulatory individuals with spinal cord injury: A six-month prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To explore the responsiveness and minimal clinically important differences of the five times sit-to-stand test in ambulatory individuals with spinal cord injury.

METHODS

This six-month prospective cohort study was conducted in 109 individuals with spinal cord injury who could walk with or without a walking device for at least 10 meters. Participants were assessed for the five times sit-to-stand test in the four arm-placement conditions and standard measures to determine responsiveness of the test, at baseline, and one, three, and six months. At six months, participants were also interviewed for the global rating of change to estimate the minimal clinically important differences of the five times sit-to-stand test.

RESULTS

The five times sit-to-stand test showed large internal responsiveness (standardized response means>0.83), with moderate external responsiveness as compared to the 10-meter walk test (ρ = -0.28 to -0.48, p < 0.005). The changes in the outcomes >2.27 and >2 s could be used to indicate a level of minimal clinically important change for participants who executed the test with and without hands, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The five times sit-to-stand test is a responsiveness measure for ambulatory individuals with spinal cord injury. The levels of minimal clinically important differences found in this study (>2.27 and >2 s) can be applied as a useful benchmark for the decision of clinically relevant changes over time for these individuals.

From outcome measurement to improving health outcomes after lower limb amputation-A narrative review exploring outcome measurement from a clinical practice perspective

Outcome measurement is essential to understand the impact of clinical interventions and the performance of services. Despite national and professional body encouragement, and successful examples of system level outcome measurement within some health care settings, many barriers still exist preventing outcome measurement from becoming embedded in clinical practice. This paper presents a narrative review which aims to describe the state of the outcome measurement evidence base in prosthetic rehabilitation, as applied in clinical practice, with a view to identifying areas for future work aimed at making outcome measurement in prosthetic rehabilitation a meaningful reality. A literature search of four databases was undertaken, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis principals appropriate to narrative reviews, and using the search terms outcome, measur*, tool, scale, instrument, prosthe*, amput* and limb loss. A total of 1116 papers were identified. Following screening 35 papers, focusing on four main themes, were included in the review. Themes were: 1) What outcome domains should be measured? 2) How can these outcome domains be measured? 3) What are the barriers to outcome measurement? and 4) What can be learnt from examples of ROM in prosthetic rehabilitation? Findings suggest that successful outcome measurement is multifaceted. Understanding and embedding value at every step appears to be key to success. Addressing the questions of 'what' outcome domains to measure and 'how' to measure them, may help establish consensus. Routine outcome measurement practice at the clinical level should ensure data collection is valuable to clinical practice, makes use of information technology solutions and has organisational engagement.

Validity and responsiveness of the Standing and Walking Assessment Tool for sub-acute traumatic spinal cord injury

STUDY DESIGN

This is a retrospective longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE

The Standing and Walking Assessment Tool (SWAT) combines stages of standing and walking recovery (SWAT stages) with established measures (Berg Balance Scale (BBS), 10-m walk test (10MWT), 6-min walk test (6MWT), and modified Timed Up-and-Go (mTUG)). We evaluated the SWAT's validity (known-groups and convergent) and responsiveness among inpatients with sub-acute, traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).

SETTING

Ten Canadian rehabilitation hospitals.

METHODS

Upon admission, SWAT stage and core measures (BBS, 10MWT, 6MWT, and mTUG), International Standards for Neurological Classification of SCI sensory and motor scores, and Spinal Cord Independence Measure III (SCIM) were collected from 618 adults with SCI. Known-groups validity was evaluated by comparing SWAT stage distributions across American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) classification. Convergent validity was evaluated by correlating SWAT stages with scores on other measures using Spearman's rho. The SWAT (stage and core measures) was re-administered at discharge. To evaluate responsiveness, SWAT stages at admission and discharge were compared. The standardized response mean (SRM) was used to evaluate the responsiveness of core SWAT measures.

RESULTS

The SWAT stage distribution of participants with AIS D injuries differed from those of participants with AIS A-C injuries (p ≤ 0.002). SWAT stages correlated strongly with BBS and motor scores (ρ = 0.778-0.836), and moderately with SCIM, mTUG, 10MWT, 6MWT, and sensory scores (ρ = 0.409-0.692). Discharge SWAT stage was greater than the admission stage (p < 0.0001). The BBS was the most responsive core SWAT measure (SRM = 1.26).

CONCLUSIONS

The SWAT is a valid and responsive approach to the measurement of standing and walking ability during sub-acute SCI.

Thumb carpometacarpal palmar and radial abduction in adults with thumb carpometacarpal joint pain: Inter-rater reliability and precision of the inter-metacarpal distance method

STUDY DESIGN

Psychometric study of inter-rater reliability.

INTRODUCTION

Functional use of the thumb can be limited in individuals with thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) osteoarthritis(OA), especially in the presence of a thumb adduction contracture. Goniometry is a common method of assessing palmar and radial abduction of the thumb base and can be used as a method of determining effectiveness of an intervention for adduction contracture. However, goniometry for the assessment of these motions has been shown to have low to moderate reliability. The intermetacarpal distance (IMD) measurement method has been shown to be the most reliable for measuring CMC palmar abduction in individuals with healthy hands but has not been studied in persons with thumb CMC OA.

PURPOSES

The purpose of this study was to determine the inter-rater reliability and precision of the inter-metacarpal distance method for measuring palmar and radial abduction in persons with symptoms of thumb CMC OA.

METHODS

Two trained hand therapists utilized the IMD method to measure palmar and radial abduction in the affected hands of 22 subjects (28 thumbs) with a physician-confirmed diagnosis or positive provocative test consistent with a diagnosis of thumb CMC OA. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC_2,2) was used to assess inter-rater reliability of the IMD method. To determine the precision of the measurements, the standard error of measurement (SEM), minimal detectable change (MDC), and MDC percent were calculated. Findings were supplemented with descriptive data on the IMD values as well as descriptive data on the sample.

RESULTS

Intraclass correlation coefficients for both radial and palmar abduction were found to be >.75, indicating excellent reliability. The precision of the IMD measurements were acceptable-to-excellent as evidenced by MDC% values of <30% and <10% for radial and palmar abduction respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

We present a new method for measuring thumb radial abduction. The inter-metacarpal distance method has excellent inter-rater reliability and acceptable-to-excellent precision when measuring palmar and radial abduction in individuals with or suspected to have thumb CMC OA. Currently, it is the most reliable tool for measuring thumb abduction.

Validation of the parent global assessment as a health-related quality of life measure in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: results from ReACCh-Out

OBJECTIVES

To (i) validate the JIA parent global assessment (parent global) as a health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instrument; (ii) evaluate measurement properties of accepted HRQoL measures relative to those of the parent global; and (iii) assess causal pathways determining parent global scores.

METHODS

Data from the Research in Arthritis in Canadian Children emphasizing outcomes (ReACCh-Out) cohort were used. Measurement properties were assessed in 344 patients at enrolment and 6 months later. Causal pathways were tested by structural equation modelling to understand root causes and mediators leading to parent global scores.

RESULTS

Construct validity was supported by Spearman correlations of 0.53-0.70 for the parent global with the Juvenile Arthritis Quality of Life Questionnaire, Quality of My Life health scale (HRQoML), Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL)-Parent, and Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ)-Physical. Exceptions were PedsQL-Child (0.44) and CHQ-Psychosocial (0.31). Correlations were lower (0.14-0.49) with disease activity measures (physician global assessment of disease activity, active joint count, ESR). Responsiveness of the parent global to improvement according to parent ratings (0.51) was acceptable and within the range (0.32-0.71) of that of other measures. Reliability estimates and measurement errors for all measures were unsatisfactory, likely due to the prolonged time between assessments. Causal pathways for the parent global matched those previously reported for HRQoML.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results offer support for the parent global as a valid measure of HRQoL for JIA. If confirmed, existing studies using the parent global may be re-interpreted, enhancing our knowledge of HRQoL in children with JIA.

Responsiveness of the PROMIS physical function measure in orthopaedic trauma patients

OBJECTIVES

To compare the responsiveness of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Physical Function (PROMIS-PF) to the 36-Item Short Form Survey Physical Component Score (SF36-PCS) in orthopaedic trauma patients from pre-injury to one year recovery.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Prospective cohort study at a Level 1 trauma centre.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients over the age of 18 with orthopaedic trauma injuries to the pelvis, lower extremity or upper extremity between 2017 and 2018.

MAIN OUTCOMES MEASUREMENTS

The PROMIS-PF and SF36-PCS assessments were conducted at baseline, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. Responsiveness of each measure was assessed between time points by calculating the standardized response mean (SRM), the proportions of patients exceeding minimal clinically important difference (MCID), and the floor and ceiling effects.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight patients with completed assessments at every timepoint were included: mean age 44.7 years, 39 were male and mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 7.4 (range: 4-16). Mean time of completion for the SF-36 at all the time points was 5.6 min vs 1.7 min for the PROMIS-PF (p<0.01). The SRM was comparable between measures at all the time points. Although a greater proportion of patients achieved MCID for SF36-PCS between all the time points, this only approached statistical significance between the 6- and 12-month assessments (47.1% vs 33.8%; p = 0.15). There was a significant ceiling effect demonstrated with the PROMIS-PF at baseline and 12-month assessments, with 34 (50.0%) patients and 7 (10.3%) patients achieving the maximum scores at each time point, respectively.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

PROMIS-PF has a more favourable responder burden based on lower time to completion and comparable responsiveness to the SF-36 PCS. However, there are limitations in responsiveness with the PROMIS-PF in patients who are higher functioning as demonstrated by the ceiling effects in patients at baseline pre-injury and at 12 months post-injury timepoints.

Longitudinal Validity and Minimal Important Change for the Modified Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) in Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Patients

The lower extremity functional scale (LEFS) is a patient-reported outcome measure for lower extremity disorders. Aim of this study was to assess the longitudinal validity including responsiveness and test-retest reliability of the revised 15-item version, and to define the minimal important change (MIC) of the modified LEFS in a generic sample of orthopedic foot and ankle patients who underwent surgery. Responsiveness, effect size, and standardized response mean were measured by determining the score change between the baseline and 6 months administration of the LEFS from 156 patients. There was no significant difference between preoperative (median 78, interquartile range [IQR] 64.2-90.3) and postoperative (median 75.0, IQR 61.7-95.0) scores. Both effect size and standardized response mean were low (0.06 and 0.06, respectively). Test-retest reliability of the LEFS was satisfactory. Intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.85 (95% confidence interval 0.81-0.88). MIC value could not be estimated due to the lack of significant score change. The modified LEFS presented with relatively low longitudinal validity in a cohort of generic orthopedic foot and ankle patients. The findings of this study indicate that the modified LEFS might not be the optimal instrument in assessing the clinical change over time for these patients.

Measuring Duchenne muscular dystrophy impact: development of a proxy-reported measure derived from PROMIS item banks

BACKGROUND

Person-reported outcomes measurement development for rare diseases has lagged behind that of more common diseases. In studies of caregivers of patients with rare diseases, one relies on proxy report to characterize this disability. It is important to measure the child's disability accurately and comprehensively because it affects caregiver burden. We aimed to create a condition-specific caregiver proxy-report measure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) in order to understand the impact of DMD on the caregiver. Drawing on relevant item banks from the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS), we sought to confirm their reliability and validity in the target sample of DMD caregivers.

METHODS

This web-based study recruited DMD caregivers via Rare Patient Voice, patient-advocacy groups, and word of mouth. Recruitment was stratified by age of the caregiver's child with DMD, which broadly represents stages of DMD progression: 2-7, 8-12, 13-17, and > 18. Telephone interviews with DMD parent-caregivers pretested possible measures for content validity. The web-based study utilized an algorithm to categorize respondents' ambulatory status for tailored administration of PROMIS Parent-Proxy items as well as some new items developed based on caregiver interviews. Item response theory analyses were implemented.

RESULTS

The study sample included 521 DMD caregivers representing equally the four age strata. The proxy-report measure included the following domains: fatigue impact, strength impact, cognitive function, upper extremity function, positive affect, negative affect, sleep-device symptoms, and mobility. The first five domains had strong psychometric characteristics (unidimensionality; acceptable model fit; strong standardized factor loadings; high marginal reliability). Negative Affect, covering anger, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and psychological stress, fit a bifactor model with good model fit, high marginal reliability, and strong factor loadings. The Sleep-device symptoms domain was not unidimensional, and the mobility domain did not have a simple structure due to residual correlations among items at opposite end of the mobility-disability continuum. These two domain scores were retained as clinimetric indices (i.e., uncalibrated scales), to achieve the overall goal of having a content-valid DMD-specific measure across all stages of disease severity.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study derived a DMD-specific proxy-report measure from PROMIS item banks and supplemental items that could potentially be utilized in caregiver research across all stages of the care recipient's DMD. Future research will focus on assessing the responsiveness and validity of the measure over time and its comparison to DMD patient self-report.

Responsiveness and convergent validity of QLU-C10D and EQ-5D-3L in assessing short-term quality of life following esophagectomy

Aim

This study assessed the responsiveness and convergent validity of two preference-based measures; the newly developed cancer-specific EORTC Quality of Life Utility Measure-Core 10 dimensions (QLU-C10D) relative to the generic three-level version of the EuroQol 5 dimensions (EQ-5D-3L) in evaluating short-term health related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes after esophagectomy.

Methods

Participants were enrolled in a multicentre randomised controlled trial to determine the impact of preoperative and postoperative immunonutrition versus standard nutrition in patients with esophageal cancer. HRQoL was assessed seven days before and 42 days after esophagectomy. Standardized Response Mean and Effect Size were calculated to assess responsiveness. Ceiling effects for each dimension were calculated as the proportion of the best level responses for that dimension at follow-up/post-operatively. Convergent validity was assessed using Spearman’s correlation and the level of agreement was explored using Bland–Altman plots.

Results

Data from 164 respondents (mean age: 63 years, 81% male) were analysed. HRQoL significantly reduced on both measures with large effect sizes (> 0.80), and a greater mean difference (0.29 compared to 0.16) on QLU-C10D. Both measures had ceiling effects (> 15%) on all dimensions at baseline. Following esophagectomy, ceiling effects were observed with self-care (86%), mobility (67%), anxiety/depression (55%) and pain/discomfort (19%) dimensions on EQ-5D-3L. For QLU-C10D ceiling effects were observed with emotional function (53%), physical function (16%), nausea (35%), sleep (31%), bowel problems (21%) and pain (20%). A strong correlation (r = 0.71) was observed between EQ-5D-3L anxiety and QLU-C10D emotional function dimensions. Good agreement (3.7% observations outside the limits of agreement) was observed between the utility scores.

Conclusion

The QLU-C10D is comparable to the more widely applied generic EQ-5D-3L, however, QLU-C10D was more sensitive to short-term utility changes following esophagectomy. Cognisant of requirements by policy makers to apply generic utility measures in cost effectiveness studies, the disease-specific QLU-C10D should be used alongside the generic measures like EQ-5D-3L.

Trial registration: The trial was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12611000178943) on the 15th of February 2011.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12955-021-01867-w.

The evolution of instrument selection for inclusion in core outcome sets at OMERACT: Filter 2.2

INTRODUCTION

OMERACT uses an evidence-based framework known as the 'OMERACT Filter Instrument Selection Algorithm' (OFISA) to guide decisions in the assessment of outcome measurement instruments for inclusion in a core outcome set for interventional and observational clinical trials.

METHODS

A group of OMERACT imaging and patient-centered outcome methodologists worked with imaging outcome groups to facilitate the selection of imaging outcome measurement instruments using the OFISA approach. The lessons learned from this work influenced the evolution to Filter 2.2 and necessitated changes to OMERACT's documentation and processes.

RESULTS

OMERACT has revised documentation and processes to incorporate the evolution of instrument selection to Filter 2.2. These revisions include creation of a template for detailed definitions of the target domain which is a necessary first step for instrument selection, modifications to the Summary of Measurement Properties (SOMP) table to account for sources of variability, and development of standardized reporting tables for each measurement property.

CONCLUSIONS

OMERACT Filter 2.2 represents additional modifications of the OMERACT guide for working groups in their rigorous assessment of measurement properties of instruments of various types, including imaging outcome measurement instruments. Enhanced reporting aims to increase the transparency of the evidence base leading to judgements for the endorsement of instruments in core outcome sets.

Prevalence and risk of spinal pain among physiotherapists in Poland

Background

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, symptoms of, and risk factors for spinal pain in physiotherapists, as well as to analyse the correlation between these factors and the nature of the work, anthropometric features of the respondents, and the level of their physical activity.

Methods

The study was conducted among 240 physiotherapists (71 male and 169 female) with a mean age of 38.7 years. They were divided into three groups: physical therapy (37), kinesitherapy (158) and massage (45). Physiotherapists were evaluated with a specially designed questionnaire, the postural discomfort chart, the Neck Disability Index (NDI) questionnaire, and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) questionnaire.

Results

The analysis showed a 91.7% incidence of spinal pain in physiotherapists (91.1% for kinesitherapy, 97.3% for physical therapy, and 88.9% for massage). The study revealed that 50.2% of physiotherapists indicated one to five pain episodes in their careers. Most respondents reported pain in the lumbosacral spine (82%) and the cervical spine (67%). Most respondents (58.5%) scored the pain as moderate (VAS scale). Carrying (62.6%) and torso bending (37.4%) were indicated as the causes of pain.

Conclusions

Physiotherapists demonstrate a high prevalence of spinal pain. Physical activity reduces the frequency of pain episodes.

Comparing the responsiveness of a generic and a musculoskeletal specific functional outcome measure in orthopaedic patients with operative fixation of pelvic ring, acetabulum, or tibia fractures: a comparison between single injury and multiply injured patients

OBJECTIVES

This study compares the responsiveness, or the ability to detect clinical change in a disease, between the generic Short Form-36 (SF-36) and musculoskeletal specific Short Musculoskeletal Functional Assessment (SMFA) patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in the orthopaedic trauma population. Stratified analysis was performed to compare whether responsiveness differs between patients with single or multiple orthopaedic injuries.

DESIGN

Prospective case series.

SETTING

Level 1 Trauma Center.

PATIENTS

A total of 659 patients with orthopaedic trauma injuries to the pelvis, acetabulum, or tibia were included for analysis. There were 485 patients with a single isolated injury and 174 patients with multiple orthopaedic injuries.

INTERVENTION

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

Responsiveness was calculated through the standard response mean (SRM), the proportion meeting a minimal clinically important difference, and floor and ceiling effects.

RESULTS

Between baseline and 6 months the magnitude of the SRM for SF-36 was consistently greater than that of SMFA in patients with single (P < .01) and multiple injuries (P < .01). Between 6 and 12 months, there were no differences in SRM across all cohorts. The proportion of patients who achieved minimal clinically important difference was consistently higher when assessed with SF-36 compared with SMFA between baseline and 6 months (81.8% vs 68.1%, P < .0001) and between 6 and 12 months (63.3% vs 55.4%, P = .01).A ceiling effect was only observed at baseline for the SMFA with 16.6% of patients achieving the maximal level of functioning detectable. No floor effects were seen in either PROM.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that SF-36 has superior responsiveness versus SMFA in both polytrauma and isolated injury patients and supports the collection of SF-36 as the primary PROM in prospective orthopaedic trauma studies irrespective of whether the patient has an isolated injury or multiple injuries.

Translation and adaptation of the German version of the Veterans Rand-36/12 Item Health Survey

BACKGROUND

The translated and culturally adapted German version of the Veterans Rand 36 Items Health Survey (VR-36), and its short form, the VR-12 counterpart, were validated in a German sample of orthopedic (n = 399) and psychosomatic (n = 292) inpatient rehabilitation patients.

METHODS

The instruments were analyzed regarding their acceptance, distributional properties, validity, responsiveness and ability to discriminate between groups by age, sex and clinically specific groups. Eligible study participants completed the VR-36 (n = 169) and the VR-12 (n = 177). They also completed validated patient-reported outcome measures (PROs) including the Euroqol-5 Dimensions 5 Level (EQ-5D-5L); Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS); Hannover Functional Abilities Questionnaire (HFAQ); and CDC Healthy Days. The VR-12 and the VR-36 were compared to the reference instruments MOS Short Form-12 Items Health Survey (SF-12) version 1.0 and MOS Short Form-36 Items Health Survey (SF-36) version 1.0, using percent of completed items, distributional properties, correlation patterns, distribution measures of known groups validity, and effect size measures.

RESULTS

Item non-response varied between 1.8%/1.1% (SFVR-36/RESF-36) and 6.5%/8.6% (GHVR-36/GHSF-36). PCS was normally distributed (Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests: p > 0.05) with means, standard deviations and ranges very similar between SF-36 (37.5 ± 11.7 [13.8-66.1]) and VR-36 (38.5 ± 10.1 [11.7-67.8]), SF-12 (36.9 ± 10.9 [15.5-61.6]) and VR-12 (36.2 ± 11.5 [12.7-59.3]). MCS was not normally distributed with slightly differing means and ranges between the instruments (MCSVR-36: 36.2 ± 14.2 [12.9-66.6], MCSSF-36: 39.0 ± 15.6 [2.0-73.2], MCSVR-12: 37.2 ± 13.8 [8.4-70.2], MCSSF-12: 39.0 ± 12.3 [17.6-65.4]). Construct validity was established by comparing correlation patterns of the MCSVR and PCSVR with measures of physical and mental health. For both PCSVR and MCSVR there were moderate (≥ 0.3) to high (≥ 0.5) correlations with convergent (PCSVR: 0.55-0.76, MCSVR: 0.60-0.78) and small correlations (< 0.1) with divergent (PCSVR: < 0.12, MCSVR: < 0.16) self-report measures. Known-groups validity was demonstrated for both VR-12 and VR-36 (MCS and PCS) via comparisons of distribution parameters with significant higher mean PCS and MCS scores in both VR instruments found in younger patients with fewer sick days in the last year and a shorter duration of rehabilitation.

CONCLUSIONS

The psychometric analysis confirmed that the German VR is a valid and reliable instrument for use in orthopedic and psychosomatic rehabilitation. Yet further research is needed to evaluate its usefulness in other populations.

Reliability and Concurrent Validity of Shoulder Tissue Irritability Classification

OBJECTIVE

Rating tissue irritability has been recommended to aid decision making in several recent clinical practice guidelines. An explicit method for rating tissue irritability was proposed as part of the Staged Algorithm for Rehabilitation Classification: Shoulder Disorders (STAR-Shoulder), but the reliability and validity of this classification are unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and concurrent validity of shoulder tissue irritability ratings as part of a system designed to guide appropriate treatment strategy and intensity.

METHODS

A clinical measurement, prospective repeated-measures cross-sectional design was used. The 101 consecutive participants with primary complaints of shoulder pain were assessed by pairs of blinded raters (24 raters in total) and rated for tissue irritability. Patients completed 3 patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures reflecting both pain and disability, and these scores were compared with ratings of tissue irritability. Paired ratings of irritability were analyzed for reliability with prevalence-adjusted, bias-adjusted Kappa for ordinal scales. Analysis of variance was used to compare PRO measures across different levels of irritability. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was utilized to derive cut-off scores for 3 PRO instruments.

RESULTS

Interrater reliability was 0.69 (95% CI = 0.59-0.78), with 67% agreement. All PRO measures were significantly different among 3 levels of tissue irritability.

CONCLUSION

There appears to be acceptable reliability and a strong relationship between PRO measures and therapist-rated tissue irritability, supporting the use of the STAR-Shoulder irritability rating system.

IMPACT

Several clinical practice guidelines have recommended that clinicians rate tissue irritability as part of their examination. This study provides important new information supporting the reliability and validity of the STAR-Shoulder tissue irritability rating system.

Construct Validity and Responsiveness of the University of Wisconsin Running Injury and Recovery Index

OBJECTIVES

The University of Wisconsin Running Injury and Recovery Index (UWRI) is the first running-specific patient-reported outcome measure (PROM). The UWRI evaluates the key elements runners use to self-assess running ability during recovery. This study evaluated the construct-related validity and responsiveness of the UWRI as an evaluative PROM of running ability following running-related injury (RRI).

DESIGN

Prospective longitudinal study.

METHODS

Runners seeking care from a physical therapist for an RRI (n = 396) completed PROMs at baseline and 12 weeks later. Change in UWRI score was validated against the global rating of change (GROC), Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12) change, and change in body region- specific PROMs. Responsiveness was evaluated using anchor-based and distribution-based techniques.

RESULTS

Change in UWRI score (mean ± SD, 7.7 ± 8.9 points) was correlated with the GROC (r = 0.67), as well as with changes in the VR-12 Physical Component Summary (PCS) (r = 0.54) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) (r = 0.31). Change in UWRI score was correlated with changes in the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure sports subscale (r = 0.75), the 12-item International Hip Outcome Tool (r = 0.75), and the Anterior Knee Pain Scale (r = 0.48), but not with the Oswestry Disability Index Version 2.0 (r = 0.05). Change in UWRI score was significantly different in runners reporting significant improvement (12.2 ± 5.9 points), slight improvement (7.1 ± 6.6 points), no change (0.0 ± 9.1 points), and worsening (-14.6 ± 7.4 points) on the GROC anchor-based responsiveness assessment. The UWRI minimal important change and minimal clinically important difference were 5 and 8 points, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The UWRI is a valid clinical tool for evaluating running ability following RRI; it demonstrated longitudinal validity (GROC), convergent validity (PCS and body region- specific PROMs), divergent validity (MCS), and responsiveness to changes in patient-perceived running ability. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2020;50(12):702-710. Epub 28 Oct 2020. doi:10.2519/jospt.2020.9698.

Cognition and motor function: The gait and cognition pooled index

BACKGROUND

There is a need for outcome measures with improved responsiveness to changes in pre-dementia populations. Both cognitive and motor function play important roles in neurodegeneration; motor function decline is detectable at early stages of cognitive decline. This proof of principle study used a Pooled Index approach to evaluate improved responsiveness of the predominant outcome measure (ADAS-Cog: Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale) when assessment of motor function is added.

METHODS

Candidate Pooled Index variables were selected based on theoretical importance and pairwise correlation coefficients. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests assessed baseline discrimination. Standardized response means assessed responsiveness to longitudinal change.

RESULTS

Final selected variables for the Pooled Index include gait velocity, dual-task cost of gait velocity, and an ADAS-Cog-Proxy (statistical approximation of the ADAS-Cog using similar cognitive tests). The Pooled Index and ADAS-Cog-Proxy scores had similar ability to discriminate between pre-dementia syndromes. The Pooled Index demonstrated trends of similar or greater responsiveness to longitudinal decline than ADAS-Cog-Proxy scores.

CONCLUSION

Adding motor function assessments to the ADAS-Cog may improve responsiveness in pre-dementia populations.

Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease Pediatric Scale to Brazilian Portuguese and determination of its measurement properties

BACKGROUND

The Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease Pediatric Scale (CMTPedS) has been used to measure aspects of disability in children with all types of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT).

OBJECTIVE

To translate and cross-culturally adapt the CMTPedS into Brazilian-Portuguese and determine its reliability and validity.

METHODS

The translation and cross-cultural adaptation followed international guidelines recommendations. Twenty individuals with CMT were assessed. Two examiners assessed the participants for inter-rater reliability. Face validity was assessed by eight physical therapists that judged the relevance of each test item. The Bland-Altman analysis (bias) and standard error of measurement (SEM) complemented the analysis. Furthermore, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), weighted kappa (k), and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was determined.

RESULTS

The CMTPedS was successfully translated and cross-culturally adapted. Twenty children/youth were enrolled in the study. Of these, the majority (55%) were girls with a mean age of 13.9 (range: from 6 to 18) years. Regarding face validity, the CMTPedS-Br showed relevant items for assessing children and youth with CMT. The ICC for the total score showed excellent reliability (ICC_2.1  = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.84, 0.97). The most reliable items were grip, dorsiflexion and plantar flexion strength while the least reliable items were pinprick, vibration, and gait. The internal consistency was excellent (α = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.91, 0.99) and the agreement showed small variability (bias = 0.15, 95% CI= -4.28, 4.60).

CONCLUSION

The CMTPedS-Br showed adequate reliability and face validity to measure disability in individuals with CMT. This tool will allow Brazil to be part of multicentered studies on such a rare but debilitating condition.

Minimal clinically important difference and minimal detectable change of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) amongst patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to estimate a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and a minimal detectable change (MDC) of the 12-item WHODAS 2.0 amongst patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional cohort study.

SETTING

Outpatient Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine clinic.

SUBJECTS

A total of 1988 consecutive patients with musculoskeletal pain.

INTERVENTIONS

A distribution-based approach was employed to estimate a minimal clinically important difference, a minimal detectable change, and a minimal detectable percent change (MDC%).

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 48 years, and 65% were women. The average intensity of pain was 6,3 (2.0) points (0-10 numeric rating scale) and the mean WHODAS 2.0 total score was 13 (9) points out of 48. The minimal clinically important difference ranged between 3.1 and 4.7 points. The minimal detectable change was 8.6 points and minimal detectable % change was unacceptably high 66%.

CONCLUSIONS

Amongst patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, the 12-item WHODAS 2.0 demonstrated a high minimal detectable change of almost nine points. As the minimal detectable change exceeded the level of minimal clinically important difference, nine points were considered to be the amount of change perceived by a respondent as clinically significant.

German version of the Chedoke McMaster arm and hand activity inventory (CAHAI-G): intra-rater reliability and responsiveness

BACKGROUND

The English version of the Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory is a validated, upper-limb measure with the purpose of assessing functional recovery of the arm and hand after a stroke. A German translation and cross-cultural adaptation was recently produced and demonstrated high validity, inter-rater reliability and internal consistency. As a follow-up, the present study evaluated the intra-rater reliability and responsiveness of the CAHAI-G for the long and all shortened versions.

METHODS

The CAHAI-G and the Action Research Arm Test were assessed on three different measurement events: upon entry (ME1), two to 3 days after entry (ME2), and after three to 4 weeks (ME3). For the intra-rater reliability analysis, the ME1 CAHAI assessments were recorded on video and rated by three therapists to obtain the intraclass coefficients (ICC). The data of all three MEs were analysed in a group of stroke inpatients for the evaluation of responsiveness. To test for responsiveness, the CAHAI-G change data were compared to concurrent instruments: The Global Rating of Change-questionnaire and the Global Rating of Concept-questionnaire. Both served as external criteria. For all CAHAI-G versions (7, 8, 9 or 13 items), the same analysis procedures for the evaluation of the responsiveness parameter were performed.

RESULTS

In total, 27 patients (9 females, age 63 ± 13.7) were enrolled in the study. The ICCs for the intra-rater reliability were calculated to be between 0.988 and 0.998 for all CAHAI versions. Responsiveness parameters were as follows from CAHAI-G 7 to 13: Minimal Detectable Change (MDC₉₀₎ 5.3, 6.0, 6.1, 8.2; Pearson's correlation coefficients CAHAI-Gs with ARAT 0.365, 0.409^*, 0.500^**, 0.597^**. The Area und Under the Curve and the Minimal Clinical Important Difference values for all CAHAI-G versions and the three external criteria ranged between 0.483 to 0.603 and 2.5 to 9.0, respectively.

CONCLUSION

In addition to the high validity, inter-rater reliability and internal consistency, the CAHAI-G revealed high intra-rater reliability. The data also suggest an adequate responsiveness of the CAHAI-G versions 9 and 13.

Clinical Outcomes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: Panther Symposium ACL Injury Clinical Outcomes Consensus Group

A stringent outcome assessment is a key aspect of establishing evidence-based clinical guidelines for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury treatment. To establish a standardized assessment of clinical outcome after ACL treatment, a consensus meeting including a multidisciplinary group of ACL experts was held at the ACL Consensus Meeting Panther Symposium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, in June 2019. The aim was to establish a consensus on what data should be reported when conducting an ACL outcome study, what specific outcome measurements should be used, and at what follow-up time those outcomes should be assessed. The group reached consensus on 9 statements by using a modified Delphi method. In general, outcomes after ACL treatment can be divided into 4 robust categories: early adverse events, patient-reported outcomes (PROs), ACL graft failure/recurrent ligament disruption, and clinical measures of knee function and structure. A comprehensive assessment after ACL treatment should aim to provide a complete overview of the treatment result, optimally including the various aspects of outcome categories. For most research questions, a minimum follow-up of 2 years with an optimal follow-up rate of 80% is necessary to achieve a comprehensive assessment. This should include clinical examination, any sustained reinjuries, validated knee-specific PROs, and health-related quality of life questionnaires. In the midterm to long-term follow-up, the presence of osteoarthritis should be evaluated. This consensus paper provides practical guidelines for how the aforementioned entities of outcomes should be reported and suggests the preferred tools for a reliable and valid assessment of outcome after ACL treatment.

Prospective multicentre validation study of a new standardised version of the 400-point hand assessment

BACKGROUND

Hand rehabilitation needs valid evaluation tools; the 400-point Hand Assessment (HA) is an exhaustive but not standardised tool. The aim of this study was to validate a standardised version of this test.

METHODS

A modified version and a standardised prototype was made for this prospective validation study (four centres, three countries). Psychometric properties studied: reliability (intra-rater and inter-rater, standard error of measurement [SEM], minimum detectable change [MDC],internal consistency); content validity, construct validity with Jebsen Taylor hand function test, QuickDASH, MOS-SF 36 and pain; responsiveness, using an anchor-based approach (ROC curve with area under curve, mean response change) with calculation of MCID. For SEM, MDC and responsiveness, QuickDASH was used for comparison.

RESULTS

One hundred and seventy-six patients with hand/wrist injuries were included between May 2013 and February 2015. One hundred and seventy were available for final analysis: 67% men; mean age 43.4 ± 13.2 years; both manual and office workers (46, 5% of each); 37% had a hand or wrist fracture. Reliability: ICC intra-rater = 0.967 [0.938-0.982]; inter-rater = 0.868 [0.754-0.932]. Distribution-based approach: for 400-point HA/QuickDASH: SEM = 3.48/4.52, MDC = 9.065/12.53, internal consistency of 400-point HA: Cronbach α = 0.886.

VALIDITY

Content validity was good according to COSMIN guidelines. Construct validity: correlation coefficient: Jebsen-Taylor hand function test = - 0.573 [- 0.666-0.464], QuickDASH = - 0.432 at T0 [- 0.545-0.303], - 0.551 at T3 [- 0.648-0.436]; MOS-SF 36 physical component = 0.395 [0.263-0.513]; no correlation with MOS-SF 36 mental component = 0.142 [- 0.009 + 0.286] and pain = - 0.166 [- 0.306 + 0.018]. Responsiveness: Anchor-based approach: AUC Δ400-point HA = 0.666 [0.583-0.749], AUC ΔQuickDASH = 0.556 [0.466-0.646]. MCID (optimal ROC curve cut-off): 6.07 for 400-point HA, - 2.27 for QuickDASH. MCID with mean response change + 12.034 ± 9.067 for 400-point HA and - 8.03 ± -9.7 for QuickDASH. The patient's global impression of change was only correlated with the Δ400-point HA.

CONCLUSIONS

The 400-point HA standardised version has good psychometric properties. For responsiveness, we propose an MCID of at least 12.3/100. However, these results must be confirmed in other populations and pathologies.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study was retrospectively registered into ISCTRN registry (Number ISRCTN25874481) the 07/02/2019.

An examination of the quality and performance of the Alda scale for classifying lithium response phenotypes

OBJECTIVES

The Retrospective Assessment of the Lithium Response Phenotype Scale (Alda scale) is the most widely used clinical measure of lithium response phenotypes. We assess its performance against recommended psychometric and clinimetric standards.

METHODS

We used data from the Consortium for Lithium Genetics and a French study of lithium response phenotypes (combined sample >2500) to assess reproducibility, responsiveness, validity, and interpretability of the A scale (assessing change in illness activity), the B scale, and its items (assessing confounders of response) and the previously established response categories derived from the Total Score for the Alda scale.

RESULTS

The key findings are that the B scale is vulnerable to error measurement. For example, some items contribute little to overall performance of the Alda scale (eg, B2) and that the B scale does not reliably assess a single construct (uncertainty in response). Machine learning models indicate that it may be more useful to employ an algorithm for combining the ratings of individual B items in a sequence that clarifies the noise to signal ratio instead of using a composite score.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights three important topics. First, empirical approaches can help determine which aspects of the performance of any scale can be improved. Second, the B scale of the Alda is best applied as a multidimensional index (identifying several independent confounders of the assessment of response). Third, an integrated science approach to precision psychiatry is vital, otherwise phenotypic misclassifications will undermine the reliability and validity of findings from genetics and biomarker studies.

Unique Substantial Clinical Benefit Values for the 12-Item International Hip Outcome Tool Based on Preoperative Level of Function

PURPOSE

To define unique substantial clinical benefit (SCB) values for improvement on the 12-item International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12) based on a preoperative self-rating of function in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for intra-articular pathology.

METHODS

This was a retrospective review of prospective collected data on patients having hip arthroscopy for labral and chondral pathology and femoroacetabular impingement. On preoperative assessment and 1-year (+/-1 month) follow-up, subjects completed the iHOT-12 and a self-categorical rating of function ("severely abnormal," "abnormal," "nearly normal," or "normal"). Separate receiver operator characteristic analyses were performed for each preoperative categorical self-rating of function to determine unique SCB values for improvement-based changes in self-rating of function.

RESULTS

Of 1034 eligible patients, 733 (71%) subjects met the inclusion criteria. Subjects consisted of 537 (73%) female and 196 (27%) male subjects with a mean age of 35.3 years (standard deviation 13). At a mean of 352 (standard deviation 21) days postsurgery, changes in iHOT-12 scores of 22, 28, and 27 points were associated with acceptable accuracy in identifying those who had an improved function rating when reporting a "severely abnormal," abnormal," and "nearly normal" rating on preoperative assessment, respectively. The accuracy of these SCB values in predicting improvement was different depending on the patient's preoperative rating of function. The accuracy of the SCB values in predicting improvement in those who had a "nearly normal" rating of function was not as accurate (area under the curve = 0.73) compared with those who had a "severely abnormal" or "abnormal" rating of function on preoperative assessment (area under the curve = 0.89; 0.89).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides surgeons with unique SCB values for the iHOT-12 based on a preoperative rating function and may allow for a more precise interpretation of score changes. SCB values of 22, 28, and 27 points on the iHOT-12 at 1-year (+/-1 month) follow-up identified those who had an improved function rating, when reporting a "severely abnormal," abnormal," and "nearly normal" rating on preoperative assessment, respectively.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III, retrospective comparative study.

Responsiveness of Device-Based and Self-Report Measures of Physical Activity to Detect Behavior Change in Men Taking Part in the Football Fans in Training (FFIT) Program

The capacity of physical activity (PA) measures to detect changes in PA within interventions is crucial. This is the first study to examine the responsiveness of activPAL3™ and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ; Short Form) in detecting PA change during a 12-week group-based, men-only weight management program-Football Fans in Training (FFIT). Participants wore an activPAL3™ and completed the IPAQ pre- and post-program (n = 30). Relationships between change scores were assessed by Spearman's correlations. Mean or median changes in PA were measured using paired samples t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Responsiveness to change was assessed utilizing Standardized Response Mean (SRM). Both device-based and self-report measures demonstrated significant changes pre-post intervention, although these changes were not significantly correlated. The SRM values for changes in activPAL3™ metrics were: 0.54 (MET-mins/day); 0.53 (step counts/day); and 0.44 (MVPA/day), indicating a small to medium responsiveness to change. SRM values for changes in IPAQ scores were: 0.59 (for total PA mins/day); 0.54 (for total MET-mins/day); 0.59 (for walking MET-mins/day); 0.38 (for vigorous MET-mins/day); and 0.38 (for moderate MET-mins/day), revealing a small to medium responsiveness to change. These findings reveal that two commonly used device-based and self-report measures demonstrated responsiveness to changes in PA. While inclusion of both device-based and self-report measures is desirable within interventions it is not always feasible. The results from this study support that self-reported measures can detect PA change within behavioral interventions, although may have a tendency to overestimate changes compared with device-based measures on absolute values, but not standardized response values.

Responsiveness of standard spine outcome tools: do they measure up?

OBJECTIVE

Over the past 2 decades, spine outcome research has become more standardized in response to recommendations from Deyo and others. By using the same generic and condition-specific patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures across studies, results are more easily compared. Given the challenges of maintaining high-quality data in clinical research studies, it would be important to evaluate the contribution of each PRO to confirm that it merits the respondent burden. This study aimed to examine the spine PROs' association with clinically important change and relative responsiveness in explaining variance in patients' global assessment of change (GAC).

METHODS

This prospective longitudinal cohort study included adults recruited from 4 active spine surgery practices at a Toronto-based hospital. Patients were diagnosed with a degenerative lumbar spinal condition and underwent spinal decompression and/or fusion surgery. Participants completed the RAND-36 (to generate the physical component score [PCS] and mental component score [MCS]), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), the numeric rating scale (NRS) for pain, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pain interference, and a GAC item. Random-effects models were used to investigate the sensitivity of PROs to the GAC and their responsiveness over time (i.e., PRO main effects and PRO-by-time interactions, respectively).

RESULTS

The study sample included 168 patients (mean age 61 years, 50% female) with preoperative and up to 12 months of postoperative data. Random-effects models revealed significant main effects for all PROs. Significant time-by-PRO interactions were detected for the PCS, PROMIS, ODI, and NRS (p < 0.0005 in all cases), but not for the MCS. Further examination revealed different sensitivity of the PROs to the GAC at different times. The NRS, PROMIS, and PCS showed higher sensitivity early after surgery, and the PCS evinced a marked drop in sensitivity to the GAC at about 8 months postsurgery.

CONCLUSIONS

All PROs currently included in the spine outcome core measures are associated with patients' subjective assessment of a clinically important change, and all but the MCS scores are responsive to such change. Based on these findings, the core spine PROs could be reduced to include fewer estimates of pain. The authors suggest replacing the less responsive measures with tools that help to characterize factors that are driving the patients' subjective assessment of change and that meaningfully address some of the higher levels in the hierarchy of quality-of-life outcomes.

Clinical outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament injury: panther symposium ACL injury clinical outcomes consensus group

PURPOSE

A stringent outcome assessment is a key aspect for establishing evidence-based clinical guidelines for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury treatment. The aim of this consensus statement was to establish what data should be reported when conducting an ACL outcome study, what specific outcome measurements should be used and at what follow-up time those outcomes should be assessed.

METHODS

To establish a standardized approach to assessment of clinical outcome after ACL treatment, a consensus meeting including a multidisciplinary group of ACL experts was held at the ACL Consensus Meeting Panther Symposium, Pittsburgh, PA; USA, in June 2019. The group reached consensus on nine statements by using a modified Delphi method.

RESULTS

In general, outcomes after ACL treatment can be divided into four robust categories-early adverse events, patient-reported outcomes, ACL graft failure/recurrent ligament disruption and clinical measures of knee function and structure. A comprehensive assessment following ACL treatment should aim to provide a complete overview of the treatment result, optimally including the various aspects of outcome categories. For most research questions, a minimum follow-up of 2 years with an optimal follow-up rate of 80% is necessary to achieve a comprehensive assessment. This should include clinical examination, any sustained re-injuries, validated knee-specific PROs and Health-Related Quality of Life questionnaires. In the mid- to long-term follow-up, the presence of osteoarthritis should be evaluated.

CONCLUSION

This consensus paper provides practical guidelines for how the aforementioned entities of outcomes should be reported and suggests the preferred tools for a reliable and valid assessment of outcome after ACL treatment.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

V.

Decreased perceived ankle and knee joint health in individuals with perceived chronic ankle instability

PURPOSE

Abnormal movement patterns and neuromuscular impairments at the ankle are thought to contribute to ankle joint degeneration in those with chronic ankle instability. However, these impairments are not confided to the ankle; rather, proximal neuromuscular deficiencies at the knee and aberrant movement patterns, thought to be responsible for reductions in knee joint health, have also been identified. While neuromuscular impairments and self-reported functional limitations have been examined in those with chronic ankle instability, patient-generated symptoms associated with joint health of the ankle and knee have not been investigated. Therefore, the purpose was to compare perceived ankle and knee joint health in individuals with and without chronic ankle instability.

METHODS

The Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score assessed region-specific ankle and knee joint health.

RESULTS

Participants with chronic ankle instability reported more ankle pain (P < 0.001) and disability (P < 0.001) than the control group. Chronic ankle instability individuals also reported worse knee joint health (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The increased symptomology associated with decreased ankle joint health further supports information demonstrating joint degeneration in young adults with chronic ankle instability. The decreased perceived knee joint health provides preliminary evidence of the negative impact proximal neuromuscular impairments associated with chronic ankle instability that may have on joints other than the ankle. Assessing subjective ankle and knee joint function can guide clinicians in developing individualized rehabilitation by providing them with an understanding if a patient presenting with chronic ankle instability suffers from symptoms arising from more than just the ankle.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Case-control, Level III.

Recovery of Sensorimotor Functional Outcomes at Discharge from In-Patient Rehabilitation in Three Stroke Units in the Province of Quebec

Purpose: This study aimed to portray the characteristics, process variables, and sensorimotor outcomes of patients who had received their usual post-stroke in-patient rehabilitation in three stroke rehabilitation units in Quebec in 2013-2014. Method: We assessed patients (n = 264) at admission and discharge with a subset of a standardized assessment toolkit consisting of observational and performance-based assessment tools. Results: The patients, with a mean age of 60.3 (SD 15.4) years, were admitted 27.7 (SD 8.4) days post-stroke onset. They had a mean admission FIM score of 83.0 (SD 24.0), a mean length of stay of 48.4 (SD 31.1) days, a mean FIM discharge score of 104.0 (SD 17.0), and a mean FIM efficiency score of 0.44 (SD 0.29). All patient outcomes were significantly improved (p < 0.001) and clinically meaningful at discharge (moderate to large Glass's Δ effect sizes) with the improvements greater than or equal to the minimal detectable change at the 95% confidence level in 34%-75% of the patients. Improvements were larger on five of seven outcomes in a sub-group of patients with more severe stroke. Conclusions: The use of a combination of observational and performance assessment tools was essential to capture the full range of disabilities. We have documented significant and clinically meaningful improvements in functional independence, disability, and upper and lower extremity functions after usual post-stroke in-patient rehabilitation in the province of Quebec and provided baseline data for future studies.