Tele-assessment of the Performance Tests in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

Reliability of Tele-assessment of the Performance Tests in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

The COVID-19 pandemic widely affected delivery mode of healthcare services. While fewer number of patients were allowed to attend face-to-face rehabilitation sessions, some services were totally unavailable due to the safety measures. The COVID-19 crisis highlighted the value and accelerated the improvement of "tele-assessment and tele-rehabilitation" applications. Consequently, reliable remote assessment approaches were required to evaluate the effectiveness of the remote programs. While tests such as TUG, SLS, and 30CST are valid and reliable for clinical use in patients with knee OA, their psychometric properties are yet to be investigated when used as tele-assessment tests. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the intra- and inter-rater reliability of the TUG, SLS, and 30CST as remote tests in patients with knee OA.

As the main cause of disability and loss of function in lower limb in middle-aged to elderly individuals , knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common OA worldwide and its prevalence increases with age and obesity . Among non-pharmacological methods, which are the first line of knee OA treatment , physical therapy is commonly prescribed to alleviate pain and improve physical function. However, not all patients with knee OA have access to face-to-face rehabilitation sessions under direct supervision of physicians or physiotherapists. Thanks to telemedicine, patients' access to real-time communication with health professionals has been considerably facilitated in recent years.

Detailed and comprehensive assessment is a fundamental factor for an effective rehabilitation program. Different assessment tools are available to assess the effectiveness of rehabilitation in patients with knee OA. To assess physical performance, practical tests, which are time- and space-effective, such as Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), Thirty Second Chair Stand Test (30CST), and Single Leg Stance Test (SLS) are commonly used in patients with knee OA .COVID-19 crisis highlighted the value and accelerated the improvement of "tele-assessment and tele-rehabilitation" applications. Consequently, reliable remote assessment approaches were required to evaluate the effectiveness of the remote programs.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Grade 2 and 3 knee OA on the Kellgren and Lawrence (K/L) scale,
• radiologically confirmed
• pain in the knee,
• willingness to join the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Grade 0, 1 and 4 knee OA on the K/L scale,
• central or peripheral nervous system involvement,
• previous knee surgery within the past six months,
• neurological or musculoskeletal disorders that would limit their performance on the tests,
• history of systemic arthritic conditions