Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40388036›Full record

ArticleJournal of occupational rehabilitation2026

A Shortened Upper Extremity Functional Capacity Evaluation for Patients with Complaints of Hand, Wrist, Forearm, and Elbow: Composition and Assessment of Construct Validity and Test-Retest Reliability.

Redmar J Berduszek, Rienk Dekker, Corry K van der Sluis, Michiel F Reneman

Abstract readValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of occupational rehabilitation, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Redmar J BerduszekDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands. r.j.berduszek@umcg.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7268-8762
Rienk DekkerDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6649-6289
Corry K van der SluisDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2141-8214
Michiel F RenemanDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4058-3437

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeUpper extremity functional capacity evaluation (UE-FCE) contains tests covering aspects of upper extremity functioning. UE-FCE tests usually consist of multiple repeated trials. Shortened UE-FCEs with less trials per test have been proposed but never tested in patients. The aims of this study were (1) to compose a shortened UE-FCE (fewer trials per test) and (2) to assess construct validity and test-retest reliability when applied in patients with nontraumatic musculoskeletal complaints of the hand, wrist, forearm, and elbow.

methodsParticipants performed a UE-FCE, with original full-length tests, twice (1 to 3 weeks apart). A shortened UE-FCE, with fewer trials per test, was composed based on the agreement (ICC ≥ 0.90) between shortened and original UE-FCE tests. Consequently, construct validity and test-retest reliability of the shortened UE-FCE tests were assessed.

resultsUE-FCEs were performed by 45 participants. The proposed shortened UE-FCE included one-trial tests for hand grip and finger strength (instead of three-trial tests), two-trial tests for fingertip and hand/forearm dexterity (instead of three-trial and four-trial tests, respectively). Overhead lifting and working tests were already one-trial tests and remain unchanged. Construct validity was demonstrated for hand grip strength of the left hand, overhead lifting, and overhead working, but not for hand grip strength of the right hand, finger strength, fingertip dexterity and hand and forearm dexterity. Test-retest reliability was above 0.70 for all tests, except for fingertip dexterity of the dominant hand (0.59).

conclusionThe shortened UE-FCE with fewer trials per test agreed strongly with the original UE-FCE. Using the shortened UE-FCE could save 18 min. Construct validity differed per UE-FCE test. Test-retest reliability was sufficient for all UE-FCE tests except fingertip dexterity of the dominant hand.

Indexed as

Disability EvaluationMusculoskeletal DiseasesUpper ExtremityAdultAgedElbowFemaleForearmHandHand StrengthHumansMaleMiddle AgedReproducibility of ResultsWristYoung AdultDisabilityFunctional capacity evaluationRehabilitationUpper extremity

Identifiers

PMID40388036
PMCPMC13099714

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.