Validity and reliability of a new assessment of lower-extremity dysfunction

Department of Physical Therapy, County Hospital, Eksjo, Sweden.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE. A 20-variable assessment system for evaluation of lower-extremity dysfunction has been constructed with special consideration of the needs of the physical therapist. The variables are classified into five subgroups: hip impairment, knee impairment, physical disability, social disability, and pain. SUBJECTS. One hundred five patients with osteoarthrosis of the hip and knee, all accepted for total joint replacement arthroplasty, were tested. The mean age of the patients was 69 years (SD = 9.0, range = 46-91). METHODS. The original grouping of the variables was analyzed for content validity with a factor analysis. The results from a subgroup of 42 patients were tested for intertester reliability with the Goodman-Kruskal gamma coefficient. RESULTS. The factor analysis indicated a factor solution consistent with the primary grouping except for two variables. The correlation between two independent physical therapists was .99 to 1.00 for different variables, indicating excellent intertester reliability. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION. In the authors' opinion, the new assessment system provides a reasonably valid, reliable, inexpensive, and easy-to-use measurement and fulfills the needs of the physical therapist for functional evaluation of the lower extremity.

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