Musculoskeletal function assessment: reference values for patient and non-patient samples

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Health Outcomes Research

Background:

• Health-status questionnaires are crucial for patient care but lack reference values for interpretation.
• The Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (MFA) is a validated tool for diverse musculoskeletal conditions.
• Interpreting MFA scores is challenging without established normative data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish reference values for the Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (MFA).
• To provide normative data for non-patients and patients with extremity injuries.
• To describe reference values for changes in MFA scores over time post-injury.

Main Methods:

• Collected data from 123 non-patients and 274 patients with extremity injuries.
• Analyzed MFA scores by age, gender, and seven Orthopaedic Trauma Association/AO diagnostic groups.
• Measured MFA scores at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-injury.

Main Results:

• Established descriptive statistics for non-patients by age and gender.
• Reported significant improvements in MFA scores from baseline to follow-up in the patient sample (p = 0.00).
• Demonstrated large effect sizes for MFA score changes at 3-9 months post-injury (1.03) and small effects at 6-12 months (0.49).

Conclusions:

• The established reference values enhance the utility of the Musculoskeletal Function Assessment.
• MFA scores show significant improvement and responsiveness in patients recovering from musculoskeletal injuries.
• These findings support the use of MFA for monitoring recovery across different injury types and time points.