Primary objective: Assess the test-re-test reliability of walking speed, step length and step width measurement in people with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Research design: Repeated measures (two test occasions).
Methods: Thirteen people with TBI completed four comfortable and four fast-paced walking trials of the 10 m walk test and two trials of the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Walking speed, step length and step width were measured during the 10 m walk test and walking distance and average speed were measured during the 6MWT. The tests were repeated 1-week later.
Main results: Walking speed and distance showed excellent test-re-test reliability, with an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.95-0.96. Reliability was also high for step length and width measurement (ICC 0.91-0.98).
Conclusions: This test-re-test reliability means that walking speed and distance and step length and width can be used by physiotherapists to monitor improvements in walking after TBI.