Development and validation of a computerized visual analog scale for the measurement of pain in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To develop a computerized visual analog scale (cVAS) system and determine if it could be used in place of the traditional 100-mm paper-based visual analog scale (pVAS) method for the measurement of pain in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS).

DESIGN:

Descriptive laboratory study.

SETTING:

Biomechanics laboratory.

PARTICIPANTS:

Thirty-six runners diagnosed with PFPS.

INTERVENTIONS:

A cVAS system was custom-coded for this study. Participants completed both the cVAS survey and a pVAS survey that measured usual knee pain during running, walking, prolonged sitting, stair ascent, stair descent, and squatting movements. Thus, 216 paired measurements were made in total.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

Pearson correlation coefficients and slopes of the line of best fit were calculated to assess the relationship between cVAS and pVAS scores, and Bland-Altman plots were constructed to determine cVAS agreement to pVAS scores.

RESULTS:

All cVAS measures were highly correlated to pVAS scores (all r values were >0.9), and slopes were always near 1.0. Bland-Altman plots demonstrated that there was good agreement between the 2 methods.

CONCLUSIONS:

The cVAS system that was developed is a valid method for measurement of pain in patients with PFPS. Further use of the cVAS for studies involving PFPS is supported.

• Authors: Ryan T Lewinson, J Preston Wiley, Jay T Worobets, Darren J Stefanyshyn
• Journal: Clinical journal of sport medicine : official journal of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine (Clin J Sport Med) Vol. 23 Issue 5 Pg. 392-6 (Sep 2013) ISSN: 1536-3724 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 23624572 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Adult
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Pain Measurement
• Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (diagnosis)