Outcome Evaluation in Tendinopathy: Foundations of Assessment and a Summary of Selected Measures

Abstract

Synopsis Clinical measurement studies that address outcome evaluation for patients with tendinopathy should consider conceptual, clinical, practical, and measurement issues to guide the selection of valid measures. Clinical outcomes reported in research studies can provide benchmarks that assist with interpretation of scores during clinical decision making. Given the pathophysiology and functional impacts of tendinopathy, there is a need for outcome measures that assess physical impairments, activity performance, and patient-reported symptoms and function. Tendinopathy-specific patient-reported outcome measures have been shown to be superior to more generic tools for some conditions, such as lateral epicondyle tendinopathy (Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation) and Achilles tendinopathy (Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Achilles), whereas both generic shoulder outcome measures and disease-specific measures perform similarly in individuals with rotator cuff tendinopathy. A patient-reported outcome measure that captures pain and limitation in function should be fundamental to outcome evaluation in patients with tendinopathy. The current measurement literature does not yet provide comprehensive empirical data to define optimal outcome measures for all types of tendinopathy. This article reviews concepts, instruments, and measurement properties that should provide clinicians with a foundation for assessment of condition severity and treatment outcomes in patients with tendinopathy. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2015;45(11):950-964. Epub 15 Oct 2015. doi:10.2519/jospt.2015.6054.

Keywords: Achilles; VISA; epicondyle; patellar; psychometrics; rotator cuff.