Background: At present, there is no validated patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for patients with medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS).
Aim: Our aim was to select and validate previously generated items and create a valid, reliable and responsive PROM for patients with MTSS: the MTSS score.
Methods: A prospective cohort study was performed in multiple sports medicine, physiotherapy and military facilities in the Netherlands. Participants with MTSS filled out the previously generated items for the MTSS score on 3 occasions. From previously generated items, we selected the best items. We assessed the MTSS score for its validity, reliability and responsiveness.
Results: The MTSS score was filled out by 133 participants with MTSS. Factor analysis showed the MTSS score to exhibit a single-factor structure with acceptable internal consistency (α=0.58) and good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.81). The MTSS score ranges from 0 to 10 points. The smallest detectable change in our sample was 0.69 at the group level and 4.80 at the individual level. Construct validity analysis showed significant moderate-to-large correlations (r=0.34-0.52, p<0.01). Responsiveness of the MTSS score was confirmed by a significant relation with the global perceived effect scale (β=-0.288, R(2)=0.21, p<0.001).
Conclusions: The MTSS score is a valid, reliable and responsive PROM to measure the severity of MTSS. It is designed to evaluate treatment outcomes in clinical studies.
Keywords: Evaluation; Observational study; Reliability; Shin splints.
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