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DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2516.2006.01312.x
Introduction
Recurrent joint bleeding in persons with haemophilia
is known to lead to joint damage associated with
pain, loss of range of motion and function and longterm physical and psychosocial impairments [1,2].
Almost 80% of recurrent haemarthroses in persons
with haemophilia have been found to occur in the
elbows, knees and ankles [3]. Consequently, a key
factor in preserving these joints and improving
overall outcomes in haemophilia is to reduce the
frequency and severity of joint bleeds [4].
The use of prophylactic factor replacement reduces
the number and/or severity of bleeding episodes in
Correspondence: Pamela Hilliard, Department of Rehabilitation
Services, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave.,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada. Tel.: 416 813 6755 ; fax: 416
813 8557; e-mail: pamela.hilliard@sickkids.ca
Accepted after revision 16 May 2006
518
519
achieved. The resulting measure is called the Hemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS).
The HJHS is an 11-item scoring tool for assessing
joint impairment in children ages 418 years. The
most significant similarities and adaptations to the
previous scales are as follows.
From the original WFH measure [10]
Joint instability was retained (but reduced to two
points) in order to capture more significant joint
damage as opposed to variations within normal
limits in children.
From the Colorado versions [12]
The 3-point scale for swelling, gait and strength
categories that had been added to the Colorado PE-1
and Colorado PE-0.5 to increase the tools sensitivity
to evaluating mild joint change was retained; the
more age appropriate tasks (e.g. gait) for the developing child, reflected in the Child PE instrument were
maintained.
From the Stockholm instrument [13]
Duration of swelling (to capture chronic synovitis)
and degrees lost (rather than percentage loss) for
range of motion were retained.
PT working group consensus
The axial alignment category (vs. axial deformity on
other scales) was decreased to two points (within or
outside normal limits) in order to detect changes
because of joint arthropathy rather than normal
developmental variation; the moderate category for
the muscle atrophy and crepitus items was deleted in
order to reduce the likelihood of scoring error; the
range of motion and flexion contracture categories
were replaced by flexion and extension loss, recorded
in degrees (this notation better delineates loss of
hyperextension and end range flexion); a more
objective measure joint pain on over-pressure
was chosen instead of the subjective items joint pain
with and without activity.
Once completed, the expert working group postulated that the HJHS would have improved psychometric properties over its predecessors. Subsequently,
the purpose of this study was to assess the inter-rater
and testretest reliability of the HJHS. The validity
and the sensitivity of the HJHS will be addressed in
future research.
520
P. HILLIARD et al.
521
Results
The eight subjects represented a variety of ages, joint
damage, treatment regimens and inhibitor status.
Their demographics are outlined in Table 1.
The overall inter-rater reliability was very good
(ICC 0.83). Some variations were seen in the
range of scores for each joint; for example, patient
4 had a range of 013 recorded for his left ankle.
Table 2 denotes the median score and range for
Age
RA
LA
RE
LE
RK
LK
Prophylaxis (frequency)
Inhibitor (yes/no/tolerized)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
12.5
11.1
4.1
6.2
11.6
7.4
7
9.7
mi/mod
mi/mod
none
mi/mod
mi/mod
none
none
mi/mod
mi/mod
mi/mod
none
mi/mod
none
mi/mod
none
severe
mi/mod
none
none
none
none
none
none
mi/mod
none
none
none
none
none
none
mi/mod
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
severe
severe
none
none
none
none
none
none
3/week
3/week
1/week
2/week
3/week
2/week
3/week
daily
Tolerized
Tolerized
no
no
no
no
no
yes
Table 2. Hemophilia Joint Health Score Reliability Study Scores, median score (range).
Patient no.
1
Day 1
LA score (max 28)
RA score (max 28)
LE score (max 24)
RE score (max 24)
LK score (max 28)
RK score (max 28)
Day 2
LA score (max 28)
RA score (max 28)
LE score (max 24)
RE score (max 24)
LK score (max 28)
RK score (max 28)
4.5
4
1
1
11.5
2
(28)
(07)
(03)
(02)
(1015)
(05)
6
6
1
0
12
2
(69)
(07)
(01)
(00)
(1115)
(02)
1.5
1.5
0
0
0
0
(02)
(02)
(02)
(01)
(03)
(05)
4
0
0.5
0
0.5
0
(013)
(01)
(01)
(01)
(01)
(02)
1
3
0
0
0.5
0
(03)
(06)
(01)
(01)
(04)
(01)
3
2
0.5
0
0.5
3.5
(23)
(06)
(01)
(03)
(02)
(26)
4.5
2.5
2
0
1.5
1.5
(07)
(24)
(02)
(01)
(03)
(04)
10.5
8
1
9
2
4.5
(413)
(211)
(01)
(611)
(07)
(16)
8.5
4.5
0
1
8.5
2.5
(49)
(37)
(01)
(07)
(512)
(27)
6
2
1
0.5
15
2
(59)
(23)
(01)
(02)
(1316)
(02)
1.5
0
0
0
0.5
0
(02)
(02)
(00)
(02)
(02)
(04)
5.5
3
0.5
0
1
1
(013)
(04)
(01)
(00)
(04)
(03)
2
4
0
0
1
0
(23)
(06)
(01)
(01)
(04)
(03)
3
2
0
0
1
1
(25)
(26)
(00)
(00)
(05)
(06)
4
2
0
0
2
1
(05)
(03)
(04)
(00)
(02)
(02)
12
3
0.5
6.5
2
1
(1113)
(33)
(05)
(49)
(22)
(02)
LA, left ankle; RA, right ankle; LE, left elbow; RE, right elbow; LK, left knee; RK, right knee; max, maximum score.
2006 The Authors
Journal compilation 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
522
P. HILLIARD et al.
Interobserver
Testretest
0.64
0.72
0.16
0.78
0.03
0.45
0.17
0.06
0.14
0.73
0.38
0.84
0.90
0.45
0.71
0.71
0.43
0.54
0.13
0.25
0.81
0.63
Swelling
Duration of swelling
Axial alignment
Muscle atrophy
Crepitus
Flexion loss
Extension loss
Joint pain
Instability
Gait
Strength
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
Joint
Left ankle
Right ankle
Left elbow
Right elbow
Left knee
Right knee
Interobserver
Testretest
0.37
0.24
0.20
0.80
0.79
0.24
0.87
0.47
0.19
0.78
0.71
0.36
20.0
25.0
Discussion
30.0
0
10
20
30
Total HJHS score on Day 1
40
each patient per joint, recorded by the four physiotherapists on day 1 and day 2. Overall, the ankle
joint was not scored as well (inter-observer) as the
knee or elbow joints. Discrepancies were also noted
in the scoring of the individual items. Instability,
joint pain, crepitus and axial alignment were
scored with poorer inter-observer consistency than
swelling, muscle atrophy and gait (see Table 3).
The overall intra-rater reliability was also excellent
(ICC 0.89). However, some variation was noted
from day 1 to day 2. For example, patient 8 had a
median score of 8 (range 211) for his right ankle on
day 1, compared with a median score of 3 (range 3
3) on day 2 (see Table 2). Items such as joint pain
and instability were less consistently scored by the
same physiotherapist on day 1 and day 2 (similar to
Conclusion
This study is the first in a series to test the
psychometric properties of the HJHS. With a very
high inter-rater and testretest reliability, the HJHS
is a promising new measure of joint health for boys
with haemophilia.
2006 The Authors
Journal compilation 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
523
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by external funding for the
IPSG from Bayer HealthCare LLC, Biological Products Division, Baxter BioScience, Novo Nordisk,
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, and ZLB Behring administered through the Hospital for Sick Children Foundation, Toronto, Canada. We would like to express our
recognition to the International Prophylaxis Study
Group Steering Committee: Dr Victor S. Blanchette
(Chair), Dr Louis M. Aledort (Co-Chair), Dr Rolf
Ljung (Co-Chair), Dr Brian M. Feldman, Dr Georges
E. Rivard, Dr Marilyn Manco-Johnson, Dr Pia Petrini,
Dr Marijke van den Berg, Dr Wolfgang Schramm,
Dr Alessandro Gringeri for their continuous scientific incentive and advice. We would also like to
acknowledge Ms Ann Marie Stain RN, and Ms
Sawsan Bakhit for their assistance with the study,
and Raoul Engelbert PT, PhD and JanJaap vanderNet
PT, PhD for their valuable input.
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Appendix 1
Hemophilia Joint Health Score
LA
RA
LE
RE
LK
RK
Other
Swelling
Duration (swelling)
Muscle atrophy
Axial alignment
Crepitus on motion
Flexion loss
Extension loss
Instability
Joint pain
Strength
Gait
Joint total
Global gait score
Total score (sum of joint totals + global gait score).
LA, left ankle; RA, right ankle; LE, left elbow; RE, right elbow; LK, left knee; RK, right knee.
Swelling
0 no swelling
1 mild
2 moderate
3 severe
Duration
0 no swelling or <6 months
1 >6 months
Muscle atrophy
0 none
1 mild
2 severe
Axial alignment
Measured only at knee and ankle
0 within normal limits
2 outside normal limits (see guidelines in explanation document)
Flexion loss
0 <5
1 510
2 1120
3 >20
Extension loss
0 <5
1 510
2 1120
3 >20
525
Instability
0 none
1 significant pathologic joint laxity
Joint pain
0 no pain either through range or at end range of motion
1 present (observed grimace, withdrawal or resistance)
Strength (using Daniels and Worthinghams scale)
Within available ROM
0 holds test position against gravity with maximum resistance (gr. 5)
1 holds test position against gravity with moderate resistance (but breaks with maximal resistance) (gr. 4)
2 holds test position with minimal resistance (gr. 3+), or holds test position against gravity(gr. 3)
3 able to partially complete ROM against gravity (gr. 3)/2+), or able to move through ROM gravity eliminated (gr. 2), or through
partial ROM gravity eliminated
4 trace (gr. 1) or no muscle contraction (gr.0)
Gait
0 all skills are within normal limits
1 one skill is not within normal limits
2 two skills are not within normal limits
3 three skills are not within normal limits
4 no skills are within normal limits (walking, stairs, running, skipping)