Reliability and Agreement of Neck Functional Capacity Evaluation Tests in Patients With Chronic Multifactorial Neck Pain.

Objectives: To analyze test-retest reliability and agreement, and to explore the safety of neck functional capacity evaluation (Neck-FCE) tests in patients with chronic multifactorial neck pain.

Design: Test-retest; 2 FCE sessions were held with a 2-week interval.

Setting: University-based outpatient rehabilitation center.

Participants: Individuals (N=18; 14 women) with a mean age of 34 years.

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures: The Neck-FCE protocol consists of 6 tests: lifting waist to overhead (kg), 2-handed carrying (kg), overhead working (s), bending and overhead reaching (s), and repetitive side reaching (left and right) (s). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and limits of agreement (LoA) were calculated. ICC point estimates between .75 and .90 were considered as good, and >.90 were considered as excellent reliability.

Results: ICC point estimates ranged between .39 and .96. Ratios of the LoA ranged between 32.0% and 56.5%. Mean ± SD numeric rating scale pain scores in the neck and shoulder 24 hours after the test were 6.7±2.6 and 6.3±3.0, respectively.

Conclusions: Based on ICC point estimates and 95% confidence intervals, 3 tests had excellent reliability and 3 had poor reliability. LoA were substantial in all 6 tests. Safety was confirmed.