Article

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the reliability of a new scale, the Triple Spasticity
Scale (TSS), for assessing spasticity in stroke, through measurement of affected
elbow flexors and ankle plantar flexors of hemiplegic patients with stroke, and
to compare the new scale with commonly used scales.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional
study. SETTING: Inpatients at a rehabilitation hospital.
PATIENTS: Seventy-one
inpatients with hemiplegic stroke. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: TSS, Modified Ashworth
Scale (MAS) and Modified Tardieu Scale (MTS). RESULTS: Test-retest reliability
for TSS total score was good (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) =
0.905~0.918). Inter- rater reliability for TSS total score was also good (ICC =
0.778~0.885). Spearman's correlation coefficient demonstrated significant
correlation between the TSS and MAS, in both elbow flexors and plantar flexors (r
= 0.840~0.946, p = 0.000), and between the TSS and MTS, in both elbow flexors and
plantar flexors (r = 0.715~0.795, p = 0.000). There were small, but significant,
correlations between the scores for increased resistance and dynamic muscle
length in these 2 muscles (r = 0.307~0.564, p = 0.000~0.009). CONCLUSION: The TSS
has good test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability in measurement of
muscle tone. This new scale provides an alternative for measuring spasticity,
which avoids some of the shortcomings of previous scales.

Langue : ANGLAIS