Assessment of the Reliability and Validity of the Single Side Step Test for Stroke Patients

Abstract

[Purpose] In this study, we investigated the reliability and the validity of the Single Side-Step Test (SSST) for stroke patients. [Subjects] We examined 27 stroke patients to verify the validity of SSST, and 18 of the 27 patients were used to evaluate the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability. [Methods] In SSST, we measured the distance of maximal side-step on the unaffected side. We also measured the maximal weight-bearing ratio in the affected lower extremity with a force plate. [Results] Intra-class correlation coefficients for intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of SSST were good. SSST had a moderate correlation with maximal weight-bearing ratio. [Conclusion] These results suggest that SSST is a reliable and valid tool for measuring the weight-bearing ability of the affected lower extremities of stroke patients.