A novel assessment for Readiness Evaluation during Simulated Dismounted Operations: A reliability study

OBJECTIVE: To determine the intersession reliability of the Readiness Evaluation during Simulated Dismounted Operations (REDOp), a novel ecologically-based assessment for injured Service Members, provide minimal detectable change values, and normative reference range values. To evaluate the ability to differentiate performance limitations between able-bodied and injured individuals using the REDOp. DESIGN: Repeated measures design and between group comparison. SETTING: Outpatient rehabilitative care setting. PARTICIPANTS: Service Members who were able-bodied (n = 32) or sustained a traumatic lower extremity injury (n = 22). INTERVENTIONS: During the REDOp, individuals walked over variable terrain as speed and incline progressively increased; they engaged targets; and carried military gear. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Endurance measured using total distance traveled; walking stability measured using range of full-body angular momentum; and shooting accuracy, precision, reaction time and acquisition time. RESULTS: Intersession reliability analyses were conducted on a sub-group of 18 able-bodied Service Members. Interclass correlation coefficient values were calculated for distance traveled (0.91), range of angular momentum about three axes (0.78–0.93), shooting accuracy (0.61), precision (0.47), reaction time (0.21), and acquisition time (0.77). Service Members with lower extremity injury demonstrated significantly less distance traveled with a median distance of 0.89 km compared to 2.73 km for the able-bodied group (p < 0.001). Service Members with lower extremity injury demonstrated significantly less stability in the frontal and sagittal planes than the able-bodied group (p < 0.001). The primary performance limiter was endurance followed by pain for both groups. There was no evidence of ceiling effects. CONCLUSIONS: The REDOp is a highly reliable, military-relevant assessment that can be used to measure performance and identify deficits across the domains of activity tolerance, gait stability, and shooting performance.