Development and validation of a computerized visual analog scale for the measurement of pain in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome

摘要

OBJECTIVE:: To develop a computerized visual analog scale (cVAS) system and determine if it could be used in place of the traditional 100-mm paper-based visual analog scale (pVAS) method for the measurement of pain in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). DESIGN:: Descriptive laboratory study. SETTING:: Biomechanics laboratory. PARTICIPANTS:: Thirty-six runners diagnosed with PFPS. INTERVENTIONS:: A cVAS system was custom-coded for this study. Participants completed both the cVAS survey and a pVAS survey that measured usual knee pain during running, walking, prolonged sitting, stair ascent, stair descent, and squatting movements. Thus, 216 paired measurements were made in total. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:: Pearson correlation coefficients and slopes of the line of best fit were calculated to assess the relationship between cVAS and pVAS scores, and Bland-Altman plots were constructed to determine cVAS agreement to pVAS scores. RESULTS:: All cVAS measures were highly correlated to pVAS scores (all r values were >0.9), and slopes were always near 1.0. Bland-Altman plots demonstrated that there was good agreement between the 2 methods. CONCLUSIONS:: The cVAS system that was developed is a valid method for measurement of pain in patients with PFPS. Further use of the cVAS for studies involving PFPS is supported. 2013 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.