The Trunk Control Measurement Scale: reliability and discriminative validity in children and young people with neuromotor disorders.

AIM: This study investigated the intra- and interrater reliability of the Trunk Control Measurement Scale (TCMS) German version, with its subscores, in children with neuromotor disorders. Further, the discriminative validity of the TCMS was assessed by comparing the TCMS scores with the Functional Independence Measure for children.

METHOD: Bland-Altman analyses and intraclass correlation coefficients were applied to investigate reliability. The discriminative ability of the TCMS was evaluated with receiver operating characteristics.

RESULTS: Ninety children (mean age 11y 5mo; range 5y-18y 11mo) participated for the reliability, and 50 for the discriminative validity study. The reliability proved to be excellent (intrarater: bias=0.57 points, 95% confidence interval [CI] -3.71 to 4.85; interrater: bias=-0.31 points, 95% CI -5.77 to 5.10). A change in the TCMS total score of six points (10%) can be considered a true change. The TCMS subscores appeared to be clinically relevant because children with less than around 80% of the static balance score, less than 55% of the dynamic reaching score, or less than around 35% of the selective movement control score needed support for daily life activities.

INTERPRETATION: The TCMS is a reliable and clinically relevant assessment for children aged 5 years and older with different neurological impairments.