Development of a Modified Version of the Spinal Function Sort (M-SFS): A Mixed Method Approach.
Svenja Janssen, Maurizio A Trippolini, Roger Hilfiker and 1 others
PMID 26499967WHAT IT FOUND
A 20-item modified picture-based spinal function sort was developed for chronic nonspecific low back pain, adding prolonged postures and removing redundant items.
It has not yet been checked for accuracy or consistency, so use cautiously.
Key findings
01The final modified Spinal Function Sort contained 20 items.
02Interviews with 17 participants with chronic nonspecific low back pain identified eight prolonged posture or movement themes: sitting, standing, walking, forward standing, crouching, forward sitting, bending, and whole body vibration.
03Four original 50 kg lifting items had fit values above 2.0, and more than 85% of participants rated themselves unable on them.
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 new 20-item questionnaire was not tested in patients for feasibility, reliability, or validity in this paper. Only 17 interviewed participants with chronic nonspecific low back pain were included, and the authors say the findings may not apply to acute low back pain or other disorders. Interview participants were recruited from the workforce of a rehabilitation centre, not from a broad clinical sample. Only four experts rated item relevance, and the final item cut-off was set arbitrarily at 9 of 12 points. Three of 20 available subjects were excluded from the interview analysis, two for refusing audio recording and one for prior repeated use of the sort. The quantitative analysis used previous data, so it checked old Spinal Function Sort items, not the new M-SFS.
Declared interests
SUVA (Swiss Accident Insurance Fund) is named as funder. No other author declarations are given in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat the M-SFS as a validated assessment. The paper reports development only, and the authors state that feasibility, reliability, and validity need further study before clinical use.