RELIABILITY OF MEASUREMENTS OBTAINED WITH A MODIFIED FUNCTIONAL REACHTEST IN SUBJECTS WITH SPINAL-CORD INJURY

Background and Purpose. The primary purpose of this study was to deter mine whether the Functional Reach Test (FRT) could be modified to prov ide reliable measurements of sitting balance. A secondary purpose was to determine whether the test could be used to measure differences amo ng levels of spinal cord injury. Subjects. Thirty male subjects with s pinal cord injuries were divided into three groups based on injury typ e. Group 1 consisted of subjects with C5-6 tetraplegia, group 2 consis ted of subjects with T1-4 paraplegia, and group 3 consisted of subject s with T10-12 paraplegia. Methods. Subjects sat on similar mat tables (tables varied based on what was available at a given clinic) against the same backboard, set at 80 degrees. During two sessions, forward re ach was measured with a yardstick, with a 10-minute break between sess ions. Results. Intraclass correlation coefficients (3,2) were high and varied from .85 to .94. Post hoc testing revealed that differences oc curred between groups 1 and 3 and groups 2 and 3, but not between grou ps 1 and 2. Conclusion and Discussion. Test-retest reliability was hig h with modification of the FRT with a single rater. The measurements r eflected differences among levels of lesion. Further study is needed t o determine normal values for all levels of lesion, relationships to f unctional outcomes, and effects of equipment on sitting balance. The m odified FRT appears to provide reliable measurements of sitting balanc e in nonstanding persons with spinal cord injuries.