Franco Franchignoni , Stefano Brunelli ^A2, Duccio Orlandini ^A3, Giorgio Ferriero ^A1, Marco Traballesi ^A2
A1 Unit of Occupational Rehabilitation and Ergonomics, Rehabilitation Institute of Veruno, "Salvatore Maugeri" Foundation, Clinica del Lavoro e della Riabilitazione, IRCCS, Veruno
^A2 Fondazione S. Lucia, IRCCS, Rome
^A3 Centro Protesi INAIL, Vigorso di Budrio, Italy
^A4 Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri, Clinica del Lavoro e della Riabilitazione, Via Revislate 13, IT-28010 Veruno (NO), Italy. E-mail: ffranchignoni@fsm.it

DOI: 10.1080/16501970310010493

Objective: To examine the internal consistency, validity, responsiveness and test scalability of the Rivermead Mobility Index. Design: Methodological research (consecutive sampling, prospective longitudinal study). Patients: 140 unilateral lower limb amputees (79 above-knee and 61 below-knee). Methods: The Rivermead Mobility Index was administered to all patients at the beginning (T 0 ) and at the end (T 2 ) of the prosthetic training. In 70 of the patients, the Functional Independence Measure and a timed walking test were also carried out. Results: The Cronbach's alpha of the Rivermead Mobility Index was 0. 85 and the item-to-total correlation coefficients r pb ranged from 0. 33 to 0. 74 ( p < 0. 0001), for the items considered, at T 0 ; 4 correlations were not calculated due to the extremely low variability of some item responses (mode =98%). The correlation (r s ) of Rivermead Mobility Index score with the motor subscale of the Functional Independence Measure was 0. 83 at T 0 and 0. 69 at T 2 ( p < 0. 0001, for both) and that with timed walking test -0. 70 ( p < 0. 0001) at T 2 . The effect size was 1. 35. The scalability coefficients were below the limits of acceptability. Conclusion: When applied in lower limb amputees, the Rivermead Mobility Index is an ordinal measure with adequate levels of a series of psychometric properties, which seems more useful for epidemiological studies than for clinical decision-making in single patients. Further steps should be considered to improve its item selection, response format and scaling properties.