Validity and Reliability of the Six-minute Peg Board and Ring Test in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic, inflammatory disease that causes pain and joint involvement. Pain, loss of range of motion, and decreased muscle strength lead to loss of function in patients with RA. Hand grip and generalized muscle weakness in patients cause decreased upper extremity functions. A study found that the upper extremity functional capacity of RA patients was lower than that of healthy individuals. In routine evaluations of rheumatoid arthritis patients, rough and fine grip strength measurements are made, but these measurements do not provide sufficient information about upper extremity functional exercise capacity. Rehabilitation programs aim to improve upper extremity function, therefore, valid and reliable methods are needed to determine upper extremity function in RA patients and to measure the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs. The six-minute peg board and ring test (6-PBRT) is a valid, reliable, useful, practical and easy-to-apply test that evaluates upper extremity endurance without support in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma and in healthy individuals (5-7). Studies have determined that the total number of rings in 6-PBRT has a positive relationship with upper extremity daily living activities in COPD and asthma patients. Six-PBRT is frequently used in the evaluation of upper extremity exercise capacity and endurance without support and in determining the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs. The validity and reliability of 6-PBRT, which is used in the evaluation of functional upper extremity exercise capacity in different diseases, has not been investigated in patients with RA. The arm ergometer test is also a gold standard method used to evaluate upper extremity exercise capacity. Therefore, it was planned to use the arm ergometer test as a criterion measure for the validity of 6-PBRT in our study. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of 6-PBRT in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and to determine the applicability of the test for this patient population.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis,
• Ages of between 18-75 years,
• Patients who volunteer to participate in the study will be included in the study.

Exclusion criteria

• Serious cardiopulmonary, neurological, neuromuscular, orthopedic and other systemic diseases or other diseases affecting physical functions,
• Participated in a planned exercise program in the last three months,
• Cognitive impairment that will cause difficulty in understanding and following exercise test instructions,
• Contraindications to exercise testing or exercise training according to the American Sports Medicine Association will not be included in the study.