The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Psychometric properties of the 30-m walking test in patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy: results from two prospective multicenter cohort studies.
The timed 30-m walking test (30MWT) is used in clinical practice and in research to objectively quantify gait impairment. The psychometric properties of 30MWT have not yet been rigorously evaluated. ⋯ The 30MWT shows high test-retest reliability and good divergent and convergent validity. It is responsive to change only in patients with more severe myelopathy. The 30MWT is a simple, quick, and affordable test, and should be used as an ancillary test to evaluate gait parameters in patients with DCM.