title: The functional assessment test: a method of evaluating improvement in function after knee arthroplasty.
abstract: Questionnaires are marginally useful for objectively measuring function after knee arthroplasty. The Functional Assessment (FA) test is an easily administered, timed test of a person's ability to stand, walk and ascend/descend stairs that would be useful for quantifying a patient's function after knee arthroplasty. Four hundred forty-five individuals were included in the study: 313 without lower extremity arthritis or neurologic disease and 132 with advanced degenerative arthritis prior to knee arthroplasty. As expected, the test times were longer for individuals afflicted with knee arthritis. Arthroplasty patients were tested pre- and postoperatively to determine if their FA test time improved. The FA test takes less than a minute and is practical for use in the clinical setting as a simple means of quantifying function before and after knee arthroplasty.
authors.affiliation: Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute, Alexandria, Virginia.
authors.forename: Gerard A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Engh
authors.affiliation: Inova Research Center, Center for Integrated Research, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, Virginia.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sheridan
authors.affiliation: Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute, Alexandria, Virginia.
authors.forename: Deborah J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Ammeen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D020127:Recovery of Function; D016138:Walking
keywords: arthritis; function; joint replacement; knee arthroplasty; walking test