Reliability and validity of the two-minute step test in patients with total knee arthroplasty.

PURPOSE: To investigate the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of 2MST for assessing the physical performance of patients with total knee arthroplasty (TKA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-one patients with TKA, aged more than 18 years, of both sexes, and underwent a primary TKA at least six months ago, were included in this study. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and 95% confidence interval (CI), standard error of measurement (SEM), and minimum detectable change at the 95% confidence level (MDC95) were used to determine the reliability of 2MST. In the validity, the correlations of the 2MST between the six-minute walk test (6MWT) and the two-minute walk test (2MWT) were assessed. RESULTS: The reliability of 2MST was excellent (ICC = 0.97, SEM = 2.76, MDC95 = 7.6). There was a moderate correlation between 2MST and 6MWT (r = 0.586; p = 0.000), as well as between 2MST and 2MWT (r = 0.633; p = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: 2MST proved to be a reliable and valid physical performance test in patients with TKA. 2MST can be used to evaluate the physical performance of TKA patients.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05064943Implications for RehabilitationThe two-minute step test (2MST) is a reliable and valid test for the assessing the physical performance of patients with total knee arthroplasty (TKA).2MST is an easy-to-administer, low-cost, and quick performance-based test that can be used routinely in any clinical setting to evaluate functional recovery after TKA.The changes of 8 or more steps for 2MST over time may represent a true change in the rehabilitation of patients with TKA.

The effect of virtual reality-based therapy on fear of falling in multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Virtual reality-based therapies is proposed in the rehabilitation of people with MS (pwMS). This systematic review aimed to summarize the effectiveness of virtual reality-based (VR) therapy on fear of falling (FoF) in pwMS. METHODS: PubMed (via MedLINE), the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ProQuest databases were systematically searched from inception until August 24, 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effect of VR therapy on FoF in pwMS as a primary or secondary outcome measure were selected. Potential articles were screened for eligibility and data were extracted by 3 independent reviewers. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the PEDro scale and the risk of bias was independently assessed by three reviewers using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias tool. Raw (unstandardized) mean differences and standard deviations of the differences in the included studies were combined, and the overall mean effect size was calculated via a fixed-effects model for this study. RESULTS: Four RCTs with 140 participants were included in this review and meta-analysis. The studies included generally have a low or unclear risk of bias, and the quality of the methodology is low or high. The meta-analysis confirmed that VR therapy could reduce FoF in pwMS; VR therapy promoted improvement greater than conventional exercises/balance exercises or no intervention (MD, 2.98 95% CI 0.27 to 5.70; p = 0.0313). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that VR therapy could be an effective rehabilitative tool for reducing FoF in pwMS. However, due to the limited number of studies included, this result should be interpreted with caution.

The effect of stabilization exercise training on pain and functional status in patients with cervical radiculopathy.

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus about treatment of neck patients who have radicular symptoms. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of stabilization exercise training on pain and functional status in patients with cervical radiculopathy. METHODS: The patients (n= 32) with cervical radiculopathy were randomized to two groups as follows: Stabilization exercise group (Group 1; n= 18); Home-exercise group (Group 2; n= 16). The patients were evaluated with visual analog scale, Neck Disability Index, SF-36 (Short-Form), Corbin postural assessment scale and hand grip at baseline, after treatment at 4th week and 3rd month. RESULTS: At baseline, there were no statistically differences between groups in terms of evaluated parameters (p> 0.05). After treatment and three months later, pain and Neck Disability Index decreased; Corbin postural scores, hand grip and SF-36 scores improved statistically in both groups (p< 0.05). Changes of the measurements in both groups were similar and there were no significant differences between group 1 and group 2 at 4th week and 3rd month (p> 0.05) except postural scores. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that stabilization exercise training could be an effective intervention for decreasing pain and improving quality of life and posture in patients with cervical radiculopathy.