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The Arabic Patient-Specific Functional Scale Demonstrates Responsiveness in Detecting Changes in Lower Extremity
Mishal M Aldaihan1, Abdulrahman M Alsubiheen1,2, Ali H Alnahdi1,2
1Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 10219, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia.
Journal of Clinical Medicine
|August 13, 2026
Summary
The Arabic Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) effectively measures improvements in lower extremity function for patients undergoing physical therapy. This patient-centered tool is reliable for monitoring rehabilitation outcomes in Arabic-speaking adults.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Outcome Measurement
Background:
- The Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) is a patient-centered outcome measure for assessing functional limitations.
- The responsiveness of the Arabic PSFS in lower extremity musculoskeletal disorders was previously unestablished.
- This study aimed to evaluate the Arabic PSFS's responsiveness in detecting changes in lower extremity function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the responsiveness of the Arabic PSFS in individuals with lower extremity musculoskeletal disorders.
- To determine if the Arabic PSFS can detect meaningful changes in function over the course of physical therapy.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study involving 72 adults with lower extremity musculoskeletal disorders in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Participants completed the Arabic PSFS, RAND-36, and Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) at baseline and follow-up.
- Responsiveness was assessed using correlation coefficients, paired t-tests, effect size, and standardized response mean, with Global Rating of Change (GRC) at follow-up.
Main Results:
- 60 participants (83.3%) reported improvement via GRC.
- Arabic PSFS scores significantly improved (mean difference = 1.66, p < 0.001) with large effect size (ES = 0.80, SRM = 0.92).
- PSFS change scores showed moderate correlations with RAND-36 physical functioning (r=0.51) and GRC (r=0.55), and weak correlations with pain measures.
Conclusions:
- The Arabic PSFS demonstrates sufficient responsiveness for detecting improvements in lower extremity function.
- The tool is suitable for monitoring rehabilitation outcomes in Arabic-speaking adults with lower extremity musculoskeletal disorders.
- The findings support the use of the Arabic PSFS in outpatient physical therapy settings.
