Evaluation of responsiveness of the Barthel index, Locomotor capability index - 5 and activities-specific balance confidence scale applied for patients after leg amputation

Amputation is the partial or entire removal of a body extremity or other part of a body. Many functions of mobility are deficient after leg amputation. Main goal of the thesis is to assess responsiveness of the Barthel index, Locomotor capability index – 5 and Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale for patients after leg amputation. The tasks of the thesis are, first, to evaluate condition of the patients after femoral amputation applying the Barthel index, Locomotor capability index – 5 and Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale before and after 2nd and 3rd stages of rehabilitation; second, calculate correlation between the functional condition and balance confidence assessment scales; third, evaluate responsiveness of the functional condition and balance confidence assessment scales. Research methods. The research was conducted at the Valakupiu Rehabilitation Center. The sampling of the research included 19 patients after femoral amputation (mean age 70, range 51 – 79, 15 men and 4 women) during their prosthetic rehabilitation. The Barthel index, Locomotor capability index – 5 and Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale were assessed in the research. Responsiveness of the scales was evaluated and correlation between them has been calculated. Microsoft Excel XP and software package STATISTICA 6.0 were used for data analysis. Results of the research show that responsiveness of the Barthel index, Locomotor capability index – 5 and Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale is sufficient. There is no reliable correlation between the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale and the Barthel index or Locomotor capability index – 5. Correlation between the Barthel index and Locomotor capability index – 5 was found at the end of 2nd and 3rd stages. The functional condition and balance confidence of the patients were increasing during the rehabilitation. Conclusions of the thesis: 1. The scores of the Barthel index, Locomotor capability index – 5 and Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale before and after 2nd and 3rd stages highly correlated (p0,1). However, reliable correlation (p