Development of the University of Wisconsin Running Injury and Recovery Index.

Thirteen of the 30 participants in the preliminary assessment were lost to follow-up, and one withdrew before completing any assessment. The final psychometric assessment used retrospective chart data from 513 patients, and only 50 had follow-up UWRI and global rating of change data. There was no universal gold standard for running ability, so the UWRI was compared with other patient-reported measures rather than an objective reference. The Lower Extremity Functional Scale showed a ceiling effect, and its median initial score in the preliminary sample was 69 of 80 points. The paper did not establish the minimum detectable change or the minimal clinically important difference for the UWRI. The UWRI was developed with English-literate, self-identified runners, and the preliminary sample excluded people with recent surgery, rheumatologic disease, systemic connective tissue disorders, or depression. The short retest interval allowed possible response memory. The beta version's short-term reliability was adversely affected when items were hidden if the runner had not run in the prior 7 days.

Do not read the UWRI as proof that a running injury treatment works. The paper describes development and psychometric testing of the UWRI, not the effect of a treatment.