Validity and Reliability of the 2-minute Step Test in Patients With Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Construct Validity and Reliability of the 2-minute Step Test in Patients With Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

The aim of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the 2 Minute Step Test (2MST) in patients with symptomatic degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis and to explore its correlation with objective assessment methods, namely the 2 Minute Walk Test (2MWT) and the 6 Minute Walk Test (6MWT).

This cross-sectional study will include 55 volunteers aged 18-80 years who present to the Istanbul Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital outpatient clinics and are diagnosed with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS) through MRI. The demographic characteristics of the patients will be recorded, and their walking distances will be inquired about. The severity of the disease will be determined by examining the levels of stenosis on lumbar MRI scans. All patients will be initially assessed using the 2MST (2-Minute Step Test), 2MWT (2-Minute Walk Test), 6MWT (6-Minute Walk Test), VAS (Visual Analogue Scale), and ODI (Oswestry Disability Index). To measure test-retest reliability, the 2MST will be administered again with a 7-day interval between assessments.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients aged 18-80 who have been diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis based on magnetic resonance images.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Uncontrolled hypertension
• Decompensated heart failure
• Presence of systemic diseases affecting lower extremity functions
• Presence of degenerative diseases affecting lower extremity functions
• Peripheral artery disease causing vascular claudication
• Psychiatric illness
• Neuromuscular disease
• Pregnancy
• Cognitive impairment