title: Methods for assessing condition-specific and generic functional status outcomes after total knee replacement.
abstract: Many assume that, relative to generic measures, condition-specific health measures are both more sensitive to the condition's severity and more specific because they are less affected by other conditions. We analyzed the sensitivity and specificity of the generic SF-36, condition-specific scales based on the SF-36, and condition-specific measures based on the Knee Society's Clinical Rating System in a study of osteoarthritis patients following knee replacement. As hypothesized, knee-specific role function and pain measures were more specific than generic measures among patients with other comorbid conditions, and less so among patients with only knee problems. Physical function scales of both types were equally specific. Clinical indicators based on x-ray and range of motion were only weakly related to all measures of function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Quality Assessment, New England Medical Center Hospitals, Boston, MA 02111-1526.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kantz
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Levitsky
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ware
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Davies
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000145:classification*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee; D007720:Knee Prosthesis / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011859:Radiography; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*