Minimal clinically important difference in walking velocity, gait profile score and two minute walk test for individuals with lower limb amputation.

Background: Individuals with lower limb amputation are routinely assessed with a variety outcome measures, however there is a lack of published data to indicate minimal clinically important differences (MCID) for many of these outcome measures. Three such important gait-specific outcome measures include walking velocity, gait profile score (GPS) and the two minute walk test (2MWT).

Research Question: Determine the MCIDs for walking velocity, GPS and 2MWT for individuals with lower limb amputation.

Methods: Walking velocity and GPS (n = 60), and 2MWT (n = 119) data for individuals with unilateral transfemoral or knee disarticulation were identified retrospectively from a database held at the study centre. An anchor-based method was used with Medicare functional classification level (MFCL) acting as the impairment-related criterion, and a least-squares linear regression approach was used to calculate the gradient required for a change between MFCL levels.

Results: An increase of 0.21 m/s (95 % CI: 0.13,0.29) for walking velocity, a reduction of 1.7° (95 % CI: -2.449,-1.097) for GPS and an increase of 37.2 m (95 % CI: 28.8,45.5) for 2MWT were found to correspond to an increase in MFCL of one level. Walking velocity, GPS and 2MWT correlated with MFCL with R values of 0.333, 0.322 and 0.398 respectively (p < 0.00001). The authors propose that 0.21 m/s for walking velocity, 1.7° for GPS and 37.2 m for 2MWT be used as MCID values for individuals with lower limb amputation.

Significance: The results of this study can be used to help both researchers and clinicians to objectively evaluate if interventions for individuals with lower limb amputation are effective.