The development and validation of a novel outcome measure to quantify mobility in the dysvascular lower extremity amputee: the amputee single item mobility measure.

The study used data from Veterans Administration patients with a first major lower extremity amputation due to diabetes or peripheral arterial disease, so it may not apply to people with other amputation causes or prior amputations. Only 2 of 113 participants were female, so the sample was almost entirely male. Follow-up analyses used fewer people than enrolled: 92 at six weeks, 90 at four months, and 82 at 12 months. Only 57% of eligible people participated, and some eligible people refused, died, or missed the recruitment window. Test-retest reliability was not assessed. The AMPSIMM is a single item and may be less precise than multi-item measures or tests such as the 2-minute walk test. It was not designed to provide detailed information about specific mobility interventions, such as public transport access or changing walking aids. Six-week scores did not predict 12-month mobility, so early scores should not be used for prediction.

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The work was supported by the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Research and Development, Rehabilitation Research and Development.

Do not use the six-week AMPSIMM score to predict mobility at 12 months. The six-week association with later Locomotor Capabilities Index-5 scores was not statistically significant (r = 0.07; p = 0.56).