A pilot study to determine the effect of one physical therapy session on physical activity levels for individuals with chronic low back pain.

Background: A pilot study was conducted to quantify the effect size of changes in physical activity after of one session of physical therapy for individuals with chronic low back pain and to determine factors that predict daily sedentary activity time.

Methods: Fourteen subjects with at least 3 days of physical activity accelerometer data were analyzed before and after one session of physical therapy. Data was analyzed using 1-tailed, paired t-tests with level of significance set at 0.

Multiple sclerosis and fatigue: understanding the patient's needs.

Fatigue is among the most common and debilitating symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), affecting approximately 80% of persons who have the disease. Recently, as part of the National Institutes of Health Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS), a bank of items was developed for measuring self-reported fatigue. This article has two purposes.

Development and validation of a new self-report measure of pain behaviors.

Pain behaviors that are maintained beyond the acute stage after injury can contribute to subsequent psychosocial and physical disability. Critical to the study of pain behaviors is the availability of psychometrically sound pain behavior measures. In this study we developed a self-report measure of pain behaviors, the Pain Behaviors Self Report (PaB-SR).

Validity of an observation method for assessing pain behavior in individuals with multiple sclerosis.

Context: Pain is a common and complex experience for individuals who live with multiple sclerosis (MS) and it interferes with physical, psychological, and social function. A valid and reliable tool for quantifying observed pain behaviors in MS is critical to understand how pain behaviors contribute to pain-related disability in this clinical population.

Objectives: To evaluate the reliability and validity of a pain behavioral observation protocol in individuals who have MS.

A PROMIS fatigue short form for use by individuals who have multiple sclerosis.

Purpose: To derive from the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) fatigue item bank, a short form for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), the PROMIS-Fatigue(MS).

Methods: A panel of 37 clinicians and 46 individuals with MS ranked the relevance of PROMIS fatigue items to persons with MS. Eight items were selected for the PROMIS-Fatigue(MS) that maximized relevance rankings, content coverage, and item discrimination.

Diagnostic value of clinical grind test for carpometacarpal osteoarthritis of the thumb.

Study Design: Clinical Measurement.

Introduction: Thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) osteoarthritis is a frequent cause of thumb pain.

Purpose Of The Study: To evaluate the interrater reliability and the criterion validity of the grind test for thumb CMC osteoarthritis.

The effects of neural mobilization in addition to standard care in persons with carpal tunnel syndrome from a community hospital.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether neural mobilization in addition to standard care is more effective than standard care alone in the treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). Sixty participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Group 1 received standard care, and Group 2 performed a neurodynamic mobilization exercise in addition to standard care.

Shoulder dysfunction assessment: self-report and impaired scapular movements.

Background And Purpose: Shoulder dysfunction is common in various patient populations. This investigation was performed to assess shoulder dysfunction with self-report and performance-based functional measures.

Subjects: Fifty men (25 with shoulder dysfunction and 25 without shoulder dysfunction) participated in this study.

Altered patterns of muscle activation during performance of four functional tasks in patients with shoulder disorders: interpretation from voluntary response index.

Altered motor control of the shoulder muscles during performance of a specific motor task in patients with shoulder disorders (SDs) has been an interesting subject to researchers. This study compared shoulder muscle activation patterns by surface electromyography (sEMG), including the upper trapezius (UT), lower trapezius (LT), and serratus anterior (SA) muscles, during four functional tasks in 25 patients with SDs and controls. A voluntary response index (VRI) was calculated, including magnitude and similarity index (SI), to quantify sEMG patterns during four functional tasks.

Functional activity characteristics of individuals with shoulder dysfunctions.

Shoulder-related dysfunction affects individuals' ability to function independently and thus decreases quality of life. Functional task assessment is a key concern for a clinician in diagnostic assessment, outcome measurement, and planning of treatment programs. The purpose of this study was to test the reliability of the FASTRAK 3-dimensional (3-D) motion analysis and surface electromyography (sEMG) systems to analyze 3-D shoulder complex movements during functional tasks and compare motion patterns between subjects with and without shoulder dysfunctions (SDs).

Dynamic assessment of health outcomes: time to let the CAT out of the bag?

Background: The use of item response theory (IRT) to measure self-reported outcomes has burgeoned in recent years. Perhaps the most important application of IRT is computer-adaptive testing (CAT), a measurement approach in which the selection of items is tailored for each respondent.

Objective: To provide an introduction to the use of CAT in the measurement of health outcomes, describe several IRT models that can be used as the basis of CAT, and discuss practical issues associated with the use of adaptive scaling in research settings.

Functional activities characteristics of shoulder complex movements: Exploration with a 3-D electromagnetic measurement system.

The high prevalence of shoulder-related dysfunction has focused increased attention on functional activity assessment. This study (1) tested the reliability of three-dimensional shoulder complex movements during four functional tasks representing different levels of task difficulty, (2) characterized the four functional tasks, and (3) examined the relationships between age and shoulder movements. Twenty-five asymptomatic subjects, all veterans aged 30-82, performed the four functional tasks.

The relationship among strength and mobility measures and self-report outcome scores in persons after rotator cuff repair surgery: impairment measures are not enough.

In the past, measures of active range of motion and strength testing were deemed sufficient to "prove" the efficacy of treatment interventions. In the current outcomes milieu, however, the focus has shifted to patient-centered assessment (ie, patients' ability to perform activities that are personally relevant). We report results from a study with patients in the private practice of a shoulder surgeon.

Development of a Flexilevel Scale for use with computer-adaptive testing for assessing shoulder function.

In a 5-year study, a self-report measure of shoulder function-the Flexilevel Scale of Shoulder Function (FLEX-SF)-was developed by use of item response theory. A large pool of candidate items (N = 68) was developed. A questionnaire that included the 68 items, another scale of shoulder function, and clinical and demographic questions were administered to 400 persons with shoulder complaints.

Reliability of selected physical performance tests in young adult women.

The purposes of this investigation were to establish the reliability of selected physical performance tests in women athletes and nonathletes and to determine performance differences between groups. Fifty women (25 athletes, 25 nonathletes) performed 5 tests in 2 sessions. The performance tests included the figure-eight hop test, up-and-down hop test, side-to-side hop test, hexagon hop test, and zigzag run test.

Outcome expectancies, functional outcomes, and expectancy fulfillment for patients with shoulder problems.

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship among patient outcome expectancies, perceived shoulder function changes, and perceptions of expectancy fulfillment.

Methods: Patients (n = 199) treated for shoulder problems at one orthopedic surgeon's office completed a baseline survey comprised of measures of outcome expectancies, shoulder function, health status, and demographics. At 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months, patients completed a mailed follow-up survey comprised of all baseline measures except demographic variables.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the Flexilevel Scale of Shoulder Function.

Background: Existing measures of self-reported shoulder function fail to measure effectively the full range of shoulder functioning. The classic approach for improving the reliability of a scale is adding items, but a scale with a substantial number of items imposes a large response burden on participants. A more efficient approach is to use modern psychometric methods to construct an adaptive scale in which patients respond only to items that are targeted at their level of shoulder function.

A randomized controlled trial comparing 2 instructional approaches to home exercise instruction following arthroscopic full-thickness rotator cuff repair surgery.

Study Design: A prospective unblinded randomized clinical trial.

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of 2 types of home program instruction, videotape versus personal instruction by a physical therapist, on subjective outcomes and exercise compliance following arthroscopic repair of a full-thickness rotator cuff tear.

Background: Advances in orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation have placed increased emphasis on home exercise programs.

Reliability by surgical status of self-reported outcomes in patients who have shoulder pathologies.

Study Design: A test-retest design was used to evaluate the reliability of the self-report sections of 4 shoulder pain and disability scales.

Objective: The objective of the study was to compare interitem consistency and test-retest reliability by surgical status (postoperative versus nonoperative) and to evaluate the effect of surgical status in the prediction of retest scores.

Background: Patients and healthcare providers evaluate shoulder status based on self-evaluations of pain and disability.

Arthroscopic treatment of multidirectional glenohumeral instability: 2- to 5-year follow-up.

PURPOSE: We present the results of a prospective study evaluating arthroscopic technique in repairing multidirectional glenohumeral instability. Type of Study: Case series. METHODS: The 47 patient study group consisted of 26 men and 21 women.