Article

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the inter-/intrarater reliability of the Walking Index
for Spinal Cord Injury version 2 scale and the repeatability of the time to walk
10 m in chronic subjects. DESIGN: In this reliability study, 26 subjects from the
United States and Italy with spinal cord injury/disorder were tested by two
blinded raters on two separate days to determine self-selected and maximum
Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury levels and the time to complete a 10-m walk.
Subjects were progressed from self-selected to maximum Walking Index for Spinal
Cord Injury incrementally until they failed the higher level. Intraclass
correlations were calculated for Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury levels and
repeatability coefficients for the 10-m time. RESULTS: Twenty-two of 26 subjects
showed increases of one to eight levels from self-selected to maximum Walking
Index for Spinal Cord Injury, whereas 10-m walking time remained relatively
unchanged (n = 15) or increased markedly (n = 7). Inter- and intrarater
reliabilities were 1.00 for the self-selected Walking Index for Spinal Cord
Injury level. Intrarater reliability for the maximum level was 1.0; interrater
reliability was 0.98. Repeatability coefficients for time to walk 10 m were
smaller (better) at self-selected than at maximum Walking Index for Spinal Cord
Injury and on the same day than on different days. On same-day assessments,
repeatability coefficients were 18%-20% of 10-m walk time, excluding subjects
with discrepant Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury levels (n = 2). For
different-day assessments, repeatability coefficients were 27%-35% of 10-m walk
time. CONCLUSIONS: The determination of both self-selected and maximum Walking
Index for Spinal Cord Injury levels is highly reliable, whereas 10-m walking time
is more variable. Walking "profiles" of speed at self-selected and maximum
Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury may better characterize walking ability than
a single Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury level.

Langue : ANGLAIS