Landinez Parra N.1, Hernandez Alvarez E.1, Galeano Navarro C.2, Forero Espinosa S.2, Barbosa Meneses N.2, Nordin A.3, Alt Murphy M.3, Stibrant Sunnerhagen K.3
1National University of Colombia, Human Movement Department, Bogotá, Colombia, 2Central Military Hospital Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia, 3University of Gothenburg, Inst. of Neuroscience and Physiology, Rehabilitation Medicine, Gothenburg, Sweden
Background: The Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) is the most widely used clinical scale for evaluation of sensorimotor impairment post stroke, it is considered to be the gold standard for the assessment in this patients; it has a higher reliability for lower extremity for motor function and it can be a significant contribution to physiotherapeutic assessment and practice.
Purpose: The present study aims to examine the intra- and inter-rater reliability of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for lower extremity (FMA-LE) in persons with stroke at Central Military Hospital of Colombia.
Methods: Sixty participants (median age 65), in subacute phase post stroke, were included in the study. The FMA-LE was performed by two physiotherapists simultaneously, but independently at two consecutive days. Statistical method of Elizabeth Svensson was used to assets the level of agreement and the systematic disagreements in assessments with relative position (RP) and relative concentration (RC) and relative rank variance (RV).
Results: Excellent intra-rater and inter-rater agreement was found for the FMA-LE. The level of agreement between raters varied from 77% to 100% and between first and second occasion from 88% to 100 %. However, some level of disagreement was detected for item of ankle dorsiflexion (Part E, level IV) between raters (RP=0.0517, RC=0.060,RV=0.0193) rater A between raters, and within raters (RP -0.0722, RC -0.020 and RV 0.0015) test 1.
Conclusion(s): The FMA showed excellent reliability in the assessment of lower extremity in patients with stroke in subacute phase. The testing intra and inter-rater, found little systematic disagreements, thus the test is recommended in this population.
Implications: Having reliable measuring instruments for lower extremity allows the physiotherapists to make a more objective assessment which in turn improves the quality of care in persons post stroke.
Funding acknowledgements: Acknowledgements to Central Military Hospital funding offered Research Project No. 2013059 and the National University of Colombia for support us.
Topic: Neurology: stroke
Ethics approval: Ethics Committee by means of the Central Military Hospital Committees Act No. 9 from its June 12, 2013.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
