T. Schoppen et al., The timed "up and go" test: Reliability and validity in persons with unilateral lower limb amputation, ARCH PHYS M, 80(7), 1999, pp. 825-828
Objective: To determine the interrater and interrater reliability and the v
alidity of the Timed "up and go" test as a measure for physical mobility in
elderly patients with an amputation of the lower extremity.
Design: To test interrater reliability, the test was performed for two obse
rvers at different times of the same day in an alternating order. To test i
ntrarater reliability, the patients performed the test for one observer on
two consecutive visits with an interval of 2 weeks. To test validity, the r
esults of the Timed "up and go" test were compared with the results on the
Sickness Impact Profile, 68-item version (SIP68), and the Groningen Activit
y Restriction Scale (GARS).
Patients: Thirty-two patients, age 60yrs or older, with unilateral transtib
ial or transfemoral amputation because of peripheral vascular disease.
Results: The Timed "up and go" test showed good intrarater and interrater r
eliability (r = .93 and .96, respectively). A moderate relationship exists
between the Timed "up and go" test and the GAPS, a good relationship exists
with the "physical subscales" of the SLP68, and there is no relationship w
ith the "mental subscales" of the SIP68.
Conclusions: The Timed "up and go" test is a reliable instrument with adequ
ate concurrent validity to measure the physical mobility of patients with a
n amputation of the lower extremity. (C) 1999 by the American Congress of R
ehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Re
habilitation.