Physical outcome measures: The role of strength and range of motion in orthopaedic research.

Abstract

Outcome measures are the indispensable mean through which different interventions are compared in research. The increase in volume that orthopaedic research has experienced in the last years has provided an extensive list of outcomes to choose from. Historically, attention has been focused mainly in morbidity as well as physician reported clinical outcomes, however there is a trend towards the use of patient reported outcomes. We intent to review the inherent characteristics and current applicability of two of the most representative physical outcome measures used in orthopaedics: Range of Motion (ROM) and Strength.