A questionnaire to identify patellofemoral pain in the community: an exploration of measurement properties

Dey, Maria Paola, Callaghan, Michael, Cook, Neil orcid iconORCID: 0000-0001-9738-9582, Sephton, Ruth, Sutton, Chris J orcid iconORCID: 0000-0002-6406-1318, Hough, Elaine, James, Jonathan, Saqib, Rukhtam and Selfe, James (2016) A questionnaire to identify patellofemoral pain in the community: an exploration of measurement properties. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 17 . p. 237. ISSN 1471-2474

[thumbnail of Version of Record]
Preview
PDF (Version of Record) - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives.

766kB

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12891-016-1097-5

Abstract

Background
Community-based studies of patellofemoral pain (PFP) need a questionnaire tool that discriminates between those with and those without the condition. To overcome these issues, we have designed a self-report questionnaire which aims to identify people with PFP in the community.

Methods
Study designs: comparative study and cross-sectional study.

Study population: comparative study: PFP patients, soft-tissue injury patients and adults without knee problems. Cross-sectional study: adults attending a science festival.

Intervention: comparative study participants completed the questionnaire at baseline and two weeks later. Cross-sectional study participants completed the questionnaire once.

The optimal scoring system and threshold was explored using receiver operating characteristic curves, test-retest reliability using Cohen’s kappa and measurement error using Bland-Altman plots and standard error of measurement. Known-group validity was explored by comparing PFP prevalence between genders and age groups.

Results
Eighty-four participants were recruited to the comparative study. The receiver operating characteristic curves suggested limiting the questionnaire to the clinical features and knee pain map sections (AUC 0.97 95 % CI 0.94 to 1.00). This combination had high sensitivity and specificity (over 90 %). Measurement error was less than the mean difference between the groups. Test–retest reliability estimates suggest good agreement (N = 51, k = 0.74, 95 % CI 0.52–0.91). The cross-sectional study (N = 110) showed expected differences between genders and age groups but these were not statistically significant.

Conclusion
A shortened version of the questionnaire, based on clinical features and a knee pain map, has good measurement properties. Further work is needed to validate the questionnaire in community samples.


Repository Staff Only: item control page