Bone Abstracts

Introduction: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder which mainly affects the collagen in the bone mass with fractures and deformities as the main symptoms. In OI there is a great variation in dysfunction related to the disease. Mobility and activities related to mobility are often most difficult. The objective for this study was to find a relevant, valid and reliable instrument to assess the children’s activity capability.

Method and participants: A total of 58 children and adolescents from 7 to 18 years answered the Activities Scale for Kids – capability, version 38 (ASK-c). ASK-c is a questionnaire with the highest score of 100. The participants were handed the questionnaire when seeing the Swedish OI team for a first or a follow-up visit. They were divided in to two groups: wheelchair users and nonwheelchair users. The data were statistically processed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).

Results: The 58 participants had a mean age of 11.5 years; 39 were boys and 19 girls. Forty had OI type I, 10 had OI type III and 8 had OI type IV. 16 were wheelchair users and 42 did not use a wheelchair on a regular basis. The wheelchair users had a mean score of 64.5 and the nonusers had a score of 90.9. There was significant difference in how the two groups perceive their activity capability. The most difficult items for the children were activities related to sports, e.g. ‘I think I could run…fast…’ and ‘I think I could participate in team-sports’. There was also a difference in how children with different OI types answered the questionnaire.

Conclusion: ASK is a valid instrument for self-report and appears to be useful in assessing activity capability in children and adolescents with OI.