Article

Self-report measures of balance and multidimensional mobility
assessments are common for people with a leg amputation, yet clinical assessment
of balance ability remains less explored. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS), typically
used for other populations with impaired balance, has been used for young people
with a high level of functioning after traumatic amputation but rarely for older
people after vascular amputation. OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to examine
the psychometric properties of the BBS with Rasch rating scale analysis to
determine the validity and utility of the BBS in assessing balance ability in
adults who have a leg amputation and dwell in the community. DESIGN: Rating scale
analysis was applied to BBS scores obtained from a single assessment. METHODS:
Adult volunteers (men and women) who had a leg amputation (any level and
etiology) and dwelled in the community were recruited from a hospital-based
community support group and a prosthetic clinic. Rating scale analysis of the BBS
was used to assess unidimensionality, internal validity, goodness of fit,
structural integrity, and person and item analyses. RESULTS: The study
participants were 40 people (26 men and 14 women; 57.8 [SD=9.7] years old) with
leg amputations (24 transtibial, 13 transfemoral, and 3 bilateral) of mixed
etiology (32 vascular and 8 nonvascular). The psychometric properties of the BBS
confirmed that it measures the unidimensional construct of balance ability with
adequate validity and with goodness of fit and structural integrity that meet the
acceptability criteria. Person measures revealed that some participants scored
near the top of the BBS, suggesting a ceiling effect; item measures revealed that
participants with leg amputations had the most difficulty performing the
following tasks: standing with 1 leg in front, turning 360 degrees, and placing
alternate foot on a stool. LIMITATIONS: Limitations included a convenience sample
and a lack of rater reliability testing. CONCLUSIONS: The BBS cohered with the
unidimensional construct of balance ability and had strong internal validity for
use in a variety of people with leg amputations.

Langue : ANGLAIS