Research article
Validation of a new test that assesses functional performance of the upper extremity and neck (FIT-HaNSA) in patients with shoulder pathology
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* Corresponding author: Joy C MacDermid jmacderm@uwo.ca
1 Clinical Research Lab, Hand and Upper Limb Centre, St. Joseph's Health Centre, London, Ontario N6A 4L6, Canada
2 School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 1C7, Canada
3 Heart Lake Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Clinic, Brampton, Ontario L6Z 1Y4, Canada
4 Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic, London, Ontario N6A 3N7, Canada
5 Hamilton General Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario L8L 2X2, Canada
6 Sarnia Community Care Physiotherapy, Sarnia, Ontario N7T 7W5, Canada
7 Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1K 2R1, Canada
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2007, 8:42 doi:10.1186/1471-2474-8-42
Published: 17 May 2007Abstract
Background
There is a lack of standardized tests that assess functional performance for sustained upper extremity activity. This study describes development of a new test for measuring functional performance of the upper extremity and neck and assesses reliability and concurrent validity in patients with shoulder pathology.
Methods
A series of developmental tests were conducted to develop a protocol for assessing upper extremity tasks that required multi-level movement and sustained elevation. Kinematics of movement were investigated to inform subtask structure. Tasks and test composition were refined to fit clinical applicability criteria and pilot tested on 5 patients awaiting surgery for shoulder impingement and age-sex matched controls. Test-retest reliability was assessed on 10 subjects. Then a cohort of patients with mild to moderate (n = 17) shoulder pathology and 19 controls (17 were age-sex matched to patients) were tested to further validate the Functional Impairment Test-Hand, and Neck/Shoulder/Arm (FIT-HaNSA) by comparing it to self-reported function and measured strength. The FIT-HaNSA, DASH and SPADI were tested on a single occasion. Impairments in isometric strength were measured using hand-held dynamometry. Discriminative validity was determined by comparing scores to those of age-sex matched controls (n = 34), using ANOVA. Pearson correlations between outcome measures (n = 41) were examined to establish criterion and convergent validity.
Results
A test protocol based on three five-minute subtasks, each either comprised of moving objects to waist-height shelves, eye-level shelves, or sustained manipulation of overhead nuts/bolts, was developed. Test scores for the latter 2 subtasks (or total scores) were different between controls as compared to either surgical-list patients with shoulder impingement or a variety of milder shoulder pathologies (p < 0.01). Test 1 correlated the highest with the DASH (r = -0.83), whereas Test 2 correlated highest with the SPADI (r = -0.76).
Conclusion
Initial data suggest the FIT-HaNSA provides valid assessment of impaired functional performance in patients with shoulder pathology. It discriminates between patients and controls, is related to self-reported function, and yet provides distinct information. Longitudinal testing is warranted.