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Validity and reliability of the SPORTS score

  • Sport Medicine
  • Published:
Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

Purpose

Successful outcomes for an athlete usually consist of returning to their sport. The Subjective Patient Outcome for Return to Sports (SPORTS) score has been recently proposed as an easy to use score for evaluating an athlete’s ability to return to their sport. The aim of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the SPORTS score in athletes 5–10 years after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Methods

A total of 47 athletes (average age 30, range 15–45), 5–10 years, after an anterior cruciate reconstruction were included in this study. Athletes were asked to complete the SPORTS score with an intermediate period of 2 weeks in order to measure reliability by using the Bland–Altman method and the ICC score. The criterion validity was assessed by calculating the Spearman correlation coefficient between the SPORTS score and Lysholm score, KOOS score and the SF-36.

Results

The SPORTS score showed excellent reliability (ICC = 0.967). The systematic error was 0 points (95% upper limit of agreement = 1.8 points). A strong correlation was found between the SPORTS score and the sports and recreation component on the KOOS score (r = 0.55, P < 0.001). The floor effect was 9% and the ceiling effect 32%.

Conclusion

This study suggests that the SPORTS score is a valid and reliable tool to assess and quantify return to sport.

Level of evidence

Diagnostic study, Level I.

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Fig. 1

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Abbreviations

ACL:

Anterior cruciate ligament

SPORTS:

The Subjective Patient Outcome for Return to Sports

KOOS score:

Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Turin Medical School, “Umberto I” Mauriziano Hospital, Turin, Italy

    Davide Blonna, Filippo Castoldi, Davide Delicio, Matteo Bruzzone, Federico Dettoni, Davide Edoardo Bonasia & Roberto Rossi

  2. Department of Orthopaedic and Traumatology, University of Turin Medical School, Mauriziano “Umberto I” Hospital, Largo Turati 62, 10128, Turin, Italy

    Davide Blonna

Authors
  1. Davide Blonna
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  2. Filippo Castoldi
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  3. Davide Delicio
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  4. Matteo Bruzzone
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  5. Federico Dettoni
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  6. Davide Edoardo Bonasia
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  7. Roberto Rossi
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Correspondence to Davide Blonna.

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Blonna, D., Castoldi, F., Delicio, D. et al. Validity and reliability of the SPORTS score. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 20, 356–360 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-011-1608-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-011-1608-8

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