Development and validation of the elbow demand rating scale

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Sports Medicine
• Rehabilitation

Background:

• Overhead sports exert significant stress on the elbow joint, the most strained upper extremity joint.
• Currently, no functional outcome tools are specifically designed for elbow injuries in athletes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Elbow Demand Rating Scale (EDS) for assessing elbow injuries in athletes.
• To evaluate the test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity of the EDS.

Main Methods:

• A prospective case-control study was conducted.
• Nineteen patients with elbow injuries and 19 healthy controls completed the EDS twice over two weeks.
• Clinicians also completed the functional portion of the EDS.

Main Results:

• The EDS demonstrated strong test-retest reliability and construct validity.
• Internal reliability of the subscales was moderate (Cronbach's alpha = 0.50).
• Exploratory analyses confirmed construct validity using demographic data on elbow pain and symptoms.

Conclusions:

• The Elbow Demand Rating Scale (EDS) exhibits moderate to strong psychometric properties for evaluating elbow injuries in young athletes.
• The EDS is a valuable tool for clinicians to manage care and assess treatment effectiveness in adolescent and young adult athletes.