Assessing physical disability in children with spina bifida and scoliosis

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Clinical Assessment Tools

Background:

• Spina bifida and scoliosis significantly impact children's physical function and quality of life.
• Accurate assessment of spinal disability is crucial for effective treatment planning and outcome evaluation.
• Existing tools may not fully capture the specific physical challenges faced by children with these conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a reliable questionnaire for assessing spine-related physical disability in pediatric patients with spina bifida and scoliosis.
• To create a tool that can be utilized by clinicians, parents, and children themselves.
• To provide a means for evaluating treatment efficacy in this specific patient population.

Main Methods:

• Generated 88 items from literature review and interviews with experts and patients.
• Ranked and refined items with input from 40 children.
• Developed a 25-item self-administered questionnaire.
• Assessed test-retest reliability (ICC=0.88) and construct validity via correlation with the Activities Scale for Kids (r=0.86) and global function assessments.

Main Results:

• The Spina Bifida Spine Questionnaire demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability over a 2-week interval.
• High correlation with the Activities Scale for Kids confirmed strong construct validity.
• The questionnaire effectively correlates with global assessments of functional status.

Conclusions:

• The Spina Bifida Spine Questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument.
• This tool can be effectively used to assess treatment outcomes for children with spina bifida and scoliosis.
• The questionnaire provides a valuable method for evaluating physical disability in pediatric spinal conditions.