If you can go from the seated to the standing position 5 times in 10.4 seconds or less, there is no objective functional impairment due to lumbar degenerative disease.
No impairment: 0 – 10.4 seconds
Mild impairment: 10.5 – 15.2 seconds
Moderate impairment: 15.3 – 22.0 seconds
Severe impairment: Greater than 22.0 seconds
~ Dr. Broussard
The five-repetition sit-to-stand test: evaluation of a simple and objective tool for the assessment of degenerative pathologies of the lumbar spine
Victor E. Staartjes
Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine
Posted online on June 29, 2018.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
Recently, objective functional tests have generated interest since they can supplement an objective dimension to clinical assessment. The five-repetition sit-to-stand (5R-STS) test is a quick and objective tool that tests movements frequently used in everyday life. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the 5R-STS test in patients with degenerative pathologies of the lumbar spine.
METHODS
Patients and healthy volunteers completed the standardized 5R-STS, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), visual analog scale (VAS) for back and leg pain, and EQ-5D for health-related quality of life (HRQOL). To assess convergent validity, the 5R-STS test times were correlated with these questionnaires.
RESULTS
Overall, 157 patients and 80 volunteers were enrolled. Direct correlation with RMDQ (r = 0.49), ODI (r = 0.44), and VAS for back pain (r = 0.31) and indirect correlation with the EQ-5D index (r = −0.41) were observed (p < 0.001). The 5R-STS test showed no correlation with VAS for leg pain and EQ-5D VAS (p > 0.05). In 119 individuals, the 5R-STS test demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.98. The upper limit of normal, distinguishing patients with and without objective functional impairment, was identified as 10.35 seconds. A severity stratification classified patients with test times of 10.5–15.2, 15.3–22.0, or greater than 22.0 seconds as having mild, moderate, or severe functional impairment, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
The 5R-STS test is a simple and effective tool to describe objective functional impairment. A patient able to perform the test in 10.4 seconds can be considered to have no relevant objective functional impairment.