Treffer: Same patients, different professionals: A comparative study of Edinburgh Visual Gait Scorring accuracy and agreement in cerebral palsy.

Title:
Same patients, different professionals: A comparative study of Edinburgh Visual Gait Scorring accuracy and agreement in cerebral palsy.
Authors:
Ertan Birsel S; Ortopediatri Istanbul, Academy of Pediatric Orthopaedics, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: drsemaertan@gmail.com., Celik M; Ortopediatri Istanbul, Academy of Pediatric Orthopaedics, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: mcelik@ortopediatri.com.tr., Dogan O; Ortopediatri Istanbul, Academy of Pediatric Orthopaedics, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: odogan@ortopediatri.com.tr., Demirci E; Ortopediatri Istanbul, Academy of Pediatric Orthopaedics, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: edemirci@ortopediatri.com.tr., Oto O; Ortopediatri Istanbul, Academy of Pediatric Orthopaedics, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: dronuroto@gmail.com., Erten RA; Sakarya Training and Research Hospital, Turkey. Electronic address: dr.abdullaherten@gmail.com., Inan M; Ortopediatri Istanbul, Academy of Pediatric Orthopaedics, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: minan@ortopediatri.com.tr.
Source:
Gait & posture [Gait Posture] 2026 Feb; Vol. 124, pp. 110051. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Nov 12.
Publication Type:
Journal Article; Comparative Study
Language:
English
Journal Info:
Publisher: Elsevier Sciencem Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 9416830 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1879-2219 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 09666362 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Gait Posture Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s):
Publication: <2007->: Oxford, UK : Elsevier Sciencem
Original Publication: Oxford, UK : Butterworth-Heinemann, c1993-
MeSH Terms:
Cerebral Palsy*/physiopathology , Cerebral Palsy*/complications , Physical Therapists* , Gait Disorders, Neurologic*/physiopathology , Gait Disorders, Neurologic*/diagnosis , Gait Disorders, Neurologic*/etiology , Gait Analysis*/methods , Orthopedic Surgeons* , Gait*/physiology, Humans ; Reproducibility of Results ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Observer Variation
Contributed Indexing:
Keywords: Accuracy; Cerebral palsy; Edinburgh Visual Gait Score; Gait analysis; Inter professional variability; Physiotherapists; Surgeons
Entry Date(s):
Date Created: 20251121 Date Completed: 20251211 Latest Revision: 20251211
Update Code:
20251212
DOI:
10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.110051
PMID:
41270516
Database:
MEDLINE

Weitere Informationen

Background: Accurate gait assessment in cerebral palsy (CP) is essential for determining treatment strategies. The Edinburgh Visual Gait Score (EVGS) provides a standardized framework for assessing gait deviations visually. However, inter-observer variability between surgeons and physiotherapists may impact the agreement in assessment and decision-making in CP.
Research Question: Do pediatric orthopedic surgeons and physiotherapists differ in their scoring accuracy and inter-rater reliability when using the Edinburgh Visual Gait Score to assess gait in children with cerebral palsy?
Methods: This study was conducted among physiotherapists and pediatric orthopedic surgeons who had the same gait assessment training. The gait data of 10 children and the standardized EVGS scoring form were shared with professionals via email. The collected data were analyzed to evaluate both inter-professional agreement between the groups and intragroup consistency within each group and the accuracy level for each group.
Results: 21 physiotherapists and 15 pediatric orthopedic surgeons participated in this study. The overall accuracy of the total EVGS was 55.5 % for pediatric orthopedic surgeons, and 48.3 % for physiotherapists. Pediatric orthopedic surgeons exhibited high-moderate agreement (Krippendorff's Alpha coefficients over 0.70) for parameters of distal segments (foot and knee). However, intragroup reliability for pelvic and hip parameters showed lower agreement with Krippendorff's Alpha coefficients below 0.70. Physiotherapists demonstrated "low agreement" for all items and the total score, with Krippendorff's Alpha values below 0.67.
Significance: Current study findings reinforce the importance of continued education and practice in maximizing the clinical and research potential of the EVGS. While variability persists between professional groups, the EVGS remains a valid and valuable tool for evaluating gait in CP.
(Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.