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Published on: July 7, 2016
Joint flexibility problems and the impact of its operationalisation.
A M Oosterwijk1, L M Disseldorp2, C P van der Schans3
1Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, Research group Healthy Ageing, Allied Health Care and Nursing, Het Wiebenga, Petrus Driessenstraat 3, 9714 CA Groningen, The Netherlands; Association of Dutch Burn Centres, Burn Centre Martini Hospital, Van Swietenplein 1, 9728 NT Groningen, The Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.
Defining joint flexibility problems significantly impacts prevalence rates. Function-related definitions may be more valuable, but require international agreement for consistent application in clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation medicine
- Pediatric physical therapy
- Burn care outcomes
Background:
- Current definitions of joint flexibility problems, based on reduced range of motion (ROM), face dissatisfaction.
- Alternative, function-related operationalizations have been proposed to better reflect clinical reality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate how different operationalizations of joint flexibility problems affect their measured prevalence.
- To compare traditional ROM-based definitions with function-related measures.
Main Methods:
- Utilized ROM data from 95 joints in 23 pediatric burn patients.
- Assessed functional activities using the Burn Outcome Questionnaire (BOQ).
- Applied five distinct methods to operationalize joint flexibility problems, including normative ROM, SD-adjusted ROM, functional ROM, and BOQ scores.
Main Results:
- Group-level prevalence of joint flexibility problems varied widely from 13% to 100% based on the operationalization method.
- Joint-specific prevalence ranged from 40% to 100% using normative ROM and 0% to 80% with SD-adjusted or functional ROM measures.
- 18% of children scored 2 or higher on the Likert scale of the BOQ, indicating functional limitations.
Conclusions:
- The chosen operationalization method significantly influences the reported prevalence of joint flexibility problems.
- Transitioning to function-related operationalizations appears beneficial but necessitates international consensus for standardization.
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