Clinical relevance of the modified physical performance test versus the short physical performance battery for detecting mobility impairments in older men with peripheral arterial disease.
Odessa Addison, Rishi Kundi, Alice S Ryan and 4 others
PMID 28835180WHAT IT FOUND
The modified physical performance test flagged mobility limitations in more men with peripheral arterial disease than the short physical performance battery.
It caught problems with stairs, coat handling, and picking up small objects that the short battery missed.
Key findings
01The MPPT classified more men as mobility-limited than the SPPB (78% versus 49%, p<0.001).
02Men limited only by the MPPT had Walking Impairment Questionnaire scores 21% to 27% lower and stair ascent time 45% higher than men limited by neither test.
03In the MPPT-limited group, 100% had slow stair ascent, 80% had coat-handling deficits, 60% had difficulty picking up a penny, and 40% had difficulty placing a book on a shelf.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show whether the MPPT detects change after intervention. It included only 51 men with peripheral arterial disease who were independently ambulatory and had no open wounds, gangrene, or lower extremity amputation, so results may not apply to women, more impaired patients, or other PAD populations. Three consented participants were removed because they did not complete functional testing, and the study could not account for medication use or socioeconomic factors. The paper did not test sex differences because all participants were men.
Declared interests
The disclosure statement lists NIH and VA funding: University of Maryland Claude D. Pepper Center P30-AG028747, Baltimore VA Medical Center GRECC, VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Award I21RX001927, and individual VA/NIH career awards. No commercial sponsor is named.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the MPPT is proven to improve outcomes or detect decline over time. The study compared two tests at one visit in 51 men with peripheral arterial disease, so it shows more limitations were identified, not that the test changes care or predicts change.