Citation

Trippolini MA, Dijkstra PU, Côté P, Scholz-Odermatt SM, Geertzen JH, Reneman MF. Arch. Phys. Med. Rehabil. 2014; 95(12): 2357-2366.

Affiliation

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Center for Rehabilitation, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.apmr.2014.07.406

PMID

25127998

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) tests predict future work capacity of patients with whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) grades I and II who did not regain full work capacity 6-12 weeks after injury.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Rehabilitation center. PARTICIPANTS: Workers listed as sick with WAD 6 to 12 weeks after injury. INTERVENTIONS: Patients performed 8 work-related FCE tests. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Work capacity (WC; 0-100%) measured at baseline and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after testing. Correlation coefficients between FCE tests and WC were calculated. A linear mixed model analysis was used to assess the association between FCE and future WC.

RESULTS: In total, 267 patients with grade I or II WAD participated in the study. Mean WC increased over time from 20.8 (SD 27.6) at baseline to 32.3 (SD 38.4), 51.3 (SD 42.8), 65.6 (SD 42.2), and 83.2 (SD 35.0) at the 1, 3, 6, and 12-month follow-up respectively. Correlation coefficients between FCE tests and WC ranged from r=0.06 (lifting low at 12-month follow-up) to r=0.39 (walking speed at 3 months). Strength of the correlations decreased over time. FCE tests did not predict WC at follow-up. The predictors of WC were ln (time) (β = 23.74), mother language (β=5.49), work capacity at baseline (β=1.01), and self-reported disability (β=-0.20). Two interaction terms ln (time) x workcapacity (β=-0.19), and ln (time) x self-reported disability (β=-0.21) were significant predictors of WC.

CONCLUSION: FCE tests performed within 6-12 weeks after WAD injury grades I and II are associated with WC at baseline, but do not predict future WC, whereas time course, mother language, WC at baseline, and self-reported disability do predict future WC. Additionally, the interaction between time course WC at baseline and self-reported disability predicted future WC.

Language: en