Feasibility and Reproducibility of the Unsupported Upper Limb Exercise Test and Six-Minute Peg Board Ring Test for
Marina Rodrigues1, Renatha Carvalho1, Brenda Vilas-Boas Gomes1
1Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Physical Therapy Department, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais-UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
Objective:
To evaluate the feasibility and reproducibility of two field tests for upper limbs (Unsupported Upper Limb Exercise Test - UULEX and 6-min Pegboard Ring Test - 6PBRT) in children and adolescents.
Methods:
Feasibility study. Fifteen healthy volunteers aged 6-17 years were included. Lung function was performed, followed by: Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET), UULEX and 6PBRT. The CPET was performed on an upper limb ergometer using an incremental protocol. UULEX: seated arm-raising while holding weighted bars (0.25-2.0 kg) through graded heights; outcome = test duration (min). 6PBRT: seated transfer of rings between lower and upper pegs for 6 min; outcome = total rings moved. For all tests, peak oxygen consumption (VO₂peak) was also an outcome. The UULEX and 6PBRT were performed twice each (test and retest), 30-min apart. Feasibility criteria were (i) no major procedural difficulties and (ii) < 15% of participants reaching ceiling or floor thresholds.
Results:
Median age 11 [9-15] years-old, and normal lung function (> 80% predicted). No volunteers considered the tests challenging.
Uulex:
Two volunteers (13%) reached the celling (13 min), none reached the floor (1 min). 6MPRT: no ceiling cases, one volunteer (6%) stopped above the floor (206 rings). The UULEX test versus retest was 9.5 [8.0-12.0] min versus 9.4 [8.2-12.0] min (p = 0.13) (ICC = 0.93 (0.78-0.97), p < 0.001). The 6PBRT test vs. retest was 299 [258-373] rings vs. 340 [244-387] rings (p = 0.05) (ICC = 0.97 (0.91-0.99), p < 0.001). Standard errors were < 10% of their respective medians. The CPET elicited higher VO₂peak (22.8 [19.4-26] mL/kg·min-1) compared to UULEX (11.8 [10.2-13.6] mL/kg) or 6PBRT (11.6 [9-12] mL/kg) (p = 0.001).
Conclusion:
Both UULEX and 6PBRT are feasible and reproducible field tests for upper limbs in children and adolescents, providing practical options for upper-limb functional assessment.
