• Search for:

    1. Home  - 

    Questionnaires to assess trauma

    Musculoskeletal practitioners, including physiotherapists, osteopaths, and chiropractors, often use specific questionnaires to assess trauma and injuries. These tools help to gauge the physical, functional, and psychological impact of injuries, guide treatment, and monitor patient recovery. Additionally, questionnaires for assessing concussion and osteoporosis are also crucial for comprehensive care. Below are key questionnaires relevant to trauma, injuries, concussions, and osteoporosis.

    1. Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) Questionnaire

    The DASH questionnaire is widely used to assess the physical function and symptoms in patients with upper extremity injuries, such as fractures or soft tissue damage.

    • Use: Measures disability and symptoms in upper limb injuries.
    • Scoring: Scores range from 0 (no disability) to 100 (maximum disability).
    • Implications: It helps clinicians track recovery and adjust treatment for traumatic upper limb injuries (Hudak et al., 1996).

    2. Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS)

    The LEFS is used to evaluate functional limitations in patients with lower limb trauma, such as fractures, ligament injuries, or hip dislocations.

    • Use: Assesses physical function in lower limb injuries.
    • Scoring: Scores range from 0 to 80, with higher scores indicating better function.
    • Implications: LEFS is useful for tracking improvements during rehabilitation from lower extremity trauma (Binkley et al., 1999).

    3. Acute Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS)

    The KOOS evaluates knee function in patients with traumatic knee injuries, such as ACL tears or meniscal injuries.

    • Use: Applied in both short-term (post-injury) and long-term (chronic) assessment.
    • Scoring: Five subscales measure pain, symptoms, daily activities, sport/recreation, and knee-related quality of life.
    • Implications: It is particularly effective for assessing recovery after knee trauma or surgery (Roos et al., 1998).

    4. Neck Disability Index (NDI)

    The NDI is commonly used to assess the impact of traumatic neck injuries, such as whiplash, on daily activities.

    • Use: Evaluates pain and disability related to neck trauma.
    • Scoring: Higher scores indicate more severe functional limitations.
    • Implications: It helps clinicians assess the severity of neck injury and effectiveness of treatment interventions (MacDermid et al., 2009).

    5. Concussion Symptom Inventory (CSI)

    The CSI is a validated tool used to assess the presence and severity of post-concussion symptoms. It is widely used in sports medicine and for individuals recovering from head trauma.

    • Use: Evaluates the severity of symptoms following a concussion, including headache, dizziness, confusion, and cognitive impairments.
    • Scoring: Patients rate symptom severity on a scale of 0 (none) to 6 (severe).
    • Implications: Helps in tracking the progress of concussion recovery and guides return-to-play or return-to-work decisions (Schatz et al., 2006).

    6. Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5 (SCAT5)

    The SCAT5 is a widely used tool for assessing acute concussion symptoms. It includes cognitive tests, symptom checklists, and balance assessments.

    • Use: Primarily for sports-related concussions but applicable to other head traumas.
    • Scoring: Combines subjective symptom reporting with objective tests for balance and memory.
    • Implications: Guides management of concussions in athletes and other patients, including decisions on when to resume physical activities (Echemendia et al., 2017).

    7. Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI)

    The WOSI assesses the quality of life and functional limitations in patients with shoulder instability due to trauma.

    • Use: Applied in patients with shoulder dislocations or chronic instability post-trauma.
    • Scoring: Higher scores indicate worse shoulder instability and more significant functional impairment.
    • Implications: Useful in assessing recovery and guiding treatment in patients with shoulder trauma (Kirkley et al., 1998).

    8. Osteoporosis Assessment Questionnaire-Physical Function (OPAQ-PF)

    The OPAQ-PF is designed to assess the impact of osteoporosis on physical functioning. Osteoporosis can lead to fractures, especially in older adults, and this tool evaluates the resultant functional limitations.

    • Use: Measures physical function in patients with osteoporosis, particularly those who have experienced fractures due to trauma.
    • Scoring: Patients self-report on activities such as walking, lifting, and daily functional tasks.
    • Implications: It helps clinicians assess how osteoporosis-related fractures affect physical function and quality of life (Silverman et al., 2001).

    9. The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ)

    The MPQ assesses the quality and intensity of pain in trauma patients. It helps differentiate between types of pain (e.g., sharp, dull, aching), which is important in cases of traumatic injuries such as fractures or dislocations.

    • Use: Commonly used for trauma patients with significant pain.
    • Scoring: Patients select descriptors of pain that are scored based on intensity.
    • Implications: Helps guide pain management strategies for trauma-related conditions (Melzack, 1975).

    10. Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ)

    The FABQ is used to assess how patients’ fear of physical activity may contribute to their avoidance of movement following trauma, potentially prolonging recovery.

    • Use: Especially useful in musculoskeletal trauma patients who may develop chronic pain due to fear-avoidance behavior.
    • Scoring: Higher scores suggest higher levels of fear-avoidance, necessitating psychological interventions.
    • Implications: The FABQ is helpful for identifying patients who may need a more integrated approach to physical and psychological rehabilitation (Waddell et al., 1993).

    Conclusion

    These questionnaires provide musculoskeletal practitioners with essential tools to assess the physical, functional, and psychological impacts of trauma and injury. They aid in guiding treatment, monitoring progress, and adjusting interventions to ensure optimal recovery, whether dealing with fractures, concussions, or conditions like osteoporosis.

    References:

    • Binkley, J. M., Stratford, P. W., Lott, S. A., & Riddle, D. L. (1999). The Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS): Scale development, measurement properties, and clinical application. Physical Therapy, 79(4), 371-383.
    • Echemendia, R. J., Meeuwisse, W., McCrory, P., Davis, G. A., & Putukian, M. (2017). The sport concussion assessment tool 5th edition (SCAT5): Background and rationale. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 51(11), 848-850.
    • Hudak, P. L., Amadio, P. C., & Bombardier, C. (1996). Development of an upper extremity outcome measure: The DASH (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand). American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 29(6), 602-608.
    • Kirkley, A., Griffin, S., McLintock, H., & Ng, L. (1998). The development and evaluation of a disease-specific quality of life measurement tool for shoulder instability: The Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI). American Journal of Sports Medicine, 26(6), 764-772.
    • MacDermid, J. C., Walton, D. M., & Avery, S. (2009). Measurement properties of the Neck Disability Index: A systematic review. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 39(5), 400-417.
    • Melzack, R. (1975). The McGill Pain Questionnaire: Major properties and scoring methods. Pain, 1(3), 277-299.
    • Roos, E. M., Roos, H. P., Lohmander, L. S., Ekdahl, C., & Beynnon, B. D. (1998). Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS): Development of a self-administered outcome measure. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 28(2), 88-96.
    • Schatz, P., Pardini, J. E., Lovell, M. R., Collins, M. W., & Podell, K. (2006). Sensitivity and specificity of the ImPACT Test Battery for concussion in athletes. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 21(1), 91-99.
    • Silverman, S. L., Minshall, M. E., Shen, W., Harper, K. D., & Xie, S. (2001). The relationship of health-related quality of life to prevalent and incident vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis: Results from the Multiple Outcomes of Raloxifene Evaluation Study. Arthritis & Rheumatology, 44(11), 2611-2619.
    • Waddell, G., Newton, M., & Henderson, I. (1993). A Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) and the role of fear-avoidance beliefs in chronic low back pain and disability. Pain, 52(2), 157-168.