Diagnostic tests to assess balance in patients with spinal cord injury: A systematic review of their validity and reliability

Abstract

Sophisticated biomechanical instruments can assess balance in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) with accuracy and precision; however, they are costly and time consuming to use. Clinical diagnostic tests to assess balance in patients with SCI are less costly and easier to use, but there is limited literature available regarding their reliability and validity. To review systematically articles reporting the validity and reliability of diagnostic tests used to assess balance function in patients with SCI. We searched for articles in the English language from the earliest record to December 15, 2020, which reported validity or reliability of any clinical instrument or diagnostic test used to assess balance in patients with SCI. Articles assessing balance in paraplegic patients with causes other than SCI were excluded. Databases included MEDLINE, AMED, EMBASE, HMIC, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The COSMIN Risk of Bias checklist was used to assess the studies included and PRISMA-DTA guidelines were applied. We included 16 articles that assessed the validity or reliability of 10 diagnostic tests. The Functional Reach Test (FRT), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest) were assessed by more than 1 study, while the remaining 7 diagnostic tests including the Function in Sitting Test, T-Shirt Test, Motor Assessment Scale item 3, Sitting Balance Score, 5 Times Sit-to-Stand Test, Tinetti scale, and Sitting Balance Measure were assessed by 1 study each. The FRT has good-to-excellent test-retest reliability, excellent inter-rater reliability, and good construct, concurrent, and convergent validity. The BBS has excellent inter-rater and intra-rater reliability, high internal consistency, and good concurrent and construct validity. The Mini-BESTest has excellent test-retest reliability, excellent inter-rater reliability, high internal consistency, and good concurrent, convergent, and construct validity. The FRT, BBS, and Mini-BESTest appear to be valid and reliable clinical instruments to assess balance function in patients with SCI.