PTOtherArchives of physical medicine and rehabilitation2017

Construct Validity of the Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility (PLUS-M) in Adults With Lower Limb Amputation.

Brian J Hafner, Ignacio A Gaunaurd, Sara J Morgan and 3 others

PMID 27590443

WHAT IT FOUND

Self-reported PLUS-M mobility scores tracked other mobility questionnaires and performance tests, and increased with clinician-assigned functional level in adults with one lower limb amputation.

Key findings

01PLUS-M T-scores correlated strongly with PEQ-MS (rho=0.78), ABC (rho=0.81), and PROMIS physical function (rho=0.81), all p<0.001.

02PLUS-M T-scores correlated moderately with AMP scores (rho=0.54) and TUG times (rho=-0.56), both p<0.001.

03PLUS-M T-scores increased with functional level, from a mean of 45.2 for MFCL-2 to 53.8 for MFCL-4, with significant differences across groups (p<0.002).

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs

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What it does not show

Most participants were unlimited community ambulators (n=151), while limited community ambulators and active adults/athletes were small groups (n=24 each). Nine participants had missing data and were not included in the analysis. The order of self-report and performance measures was not controlled. Data were collected across 37 clinics by trained prosthetists, and variations in clinical settings or administration methods may have occurred. The study used pre-intervention baseline data, so it does not test change after prosthetic treatment.

Declared interests

The authors declared no competing interest. The article metadata lists NIH extramural research support.

The easy way to misread this

Do not read PLUS-M scores as proof that a prosthetic intervention improved mobility. This study tested whether the questionnaire agreed with other mobility measures, not whether treatment changed function.

Read it on PubMed →

Construct Validity of the Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility (PLUS-M) in Adults With Lower Limb Amputation. — Applied Evidence