Clinimetrics of the Upright Motor Control Test in chronic stroke

INTRODUCTION: Insufficient literature exists regarding the clinimetric properties of the Upright Motor Control Test Knee Extension and Flexion subtests (UMCT‐KE and UMCT‐KF, respectively). This study examined the interrater and test‐retest reliability of these subtests, and determined the relationship between the UMCT‐KE and a clinical measure of muscle function in a sample of adults with chronic stroke. METHODS: Three raters independently administered the UMCT‐KE and UMCT‐KF on adults with chronic stroke with spasticity/abnormal movement patterns. Testing of each participant occurred on two occasions (T1 and T2) separated by a two‐week interval. A fourth rater independently administered the Five Times Sit to Stand Test (FTSST), a measure of lower extremity muscle function (power), on T2. RESULTS: Twenty‐nine adults aged 55 ± 8 years, comprising 21 men (72%), and who were 9 ± 5 years poststroke, completed the study. Most of the participants (66%, 19/29) did not require an assistive device during walking. The UMCT‐KE and UMCT‐KF demonstrated substantial interrater reliability (W = 0.63–0.67 and 0.72–0.75, respectively) and substantial to almost perfect test‐retest reliability across the raters (W = 0.75–0.82 and 0.85–0.87, respectively). The UMCT‐KE showed positive inverse correlation with the FTSST (ρ = −0.52, p = .003). CONCLUSIONS: Scores on both subtests are reproducible within raters and across different raters. The relationship of UMCT‐KE scores with FTSST scores implies that the UMCT‐KE can provide information that relates with the construct of muscle function in a weight‐bearing position.