Linking of 17 functional outcome measures used in lower limb osteoarthritis to the International Classification of Functioning (ICF), disability and health

The linking process enables the understanding of the relationship between functional outcome measures and the ICF categories. Linking with reference to ICF allows the identification and quantification of the concepts like activities and participation, body structure and function, environmental factors contained in functional outcome measures used in lower limb osteoarthritis.

The objective of this study was to link the items of 17 functional outcome measures commonly used in lower limb osteoarthritis to the ICF categories based on standard linking rules.

Using standard online search strategies, the developmental studies of 17 functional outcome measures commonly used in lower limb osteoarthritis were identifies and included for the study. Two trained health professionals linked the outcome measures to the ICF categories separately. Consensus between health professionals was used to decide which ICF category should be linked to each item/concept. To resolve disagreements between the two health professionals, a third person trained in the linking rules was consulted.

The 17 functional outcome measures comprised of 300 items/question that were linked to 78 different ICF categories. Very few items could not be linked with any of ICF categories; 19 (24.35%) ICF categories were linked with body functions and structures components, 56 (71.79%) ICF categories in activities and participations and 3 (3.84%) in environmental factors. There were 22 (28.2%) level-2 categories, 52 (66.7%) level-3 categories and 4 (5.1%) level-4 ICF categories.

The 17 functional outcome measures used in lower limb osteoarthritis are linkable with the ICF categories. The ICF classification can become the cardinal reference for existing functional outcome measures.