KNEE INJURY AND OSTEOARTHRITIS OUTCOME SCORE (KOOS) - DEVELOPMENT OF A SELF-ADMINISTERED OUTCOME MEASURE

There is broad consensus that good outcome measures are needed to dist inguish interventions that are effective from those that are not. This task requires standardized, patient-centered measures that can be adm inistered at a low cost. We developed a questionnaire to assess short- and long-term patient-relevant outcomes following knee injury, based on the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index, a literature review, an expert pane l, and a pilot study. The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) is self-administered and assesses five outcomes: pain, symptom s, activities of daily living, sport and recreation function, and knee -related quality of life. In this clinical study, the KOOS proved reli able, responsive to surgery and physical therapy, and valid for patien ts undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The KOOS meet s basic criteria of outcome measures and can be used to evaluate the c ourse of knee injury and treatment outcome.