If you weigh yourself on a scale and receive a number, how do you understand the value? How do you know if you are overweight, underweight or normal? Who do you compare yourself to?
To determine what’s normal and understand your own score, you’ll likely compare your weight to other people who have similar characteristics to you, such as gender, age, and height. There would be no point in comparing yourself to someone with different characteristics, since what is normal for him or her is likely different for you. This same concept applies to normative values.
Normative data identify what is common or typical and describe observed characteristics of a specific population at a specific time.[1] Using normative values allows you to give meaning to your test scores by comparing your score to scores of people with similar characteristics to you.[2]
As explained in part 1 of the KOOS blog series, the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Score (KOOS) is a questionnaire specifically designed for people with various knee conditions.[3] By completing the KOOS you will gain insight into the course of your knee injury and you and your healthcare provider can monitor the effects of the treatment over time.[3] While comparing your own preoperative and postoperative KOOS scores provides insight into your recovery process, you can also compare your scores to normative KOOS values to determine your degree of disability or your level of progress compared to people who have had a similar injury, surgery, or have undergone treatment. .
View the normal KOOS scoring blog for populations that have suffered an ACL injury,[4][5][6] total knee replacement (TKR) surgery, [7][8][9] as well as those who have knee osteoarthritis,[10] and populations without known knee disorders [11] in part 2 of the KOOS blog series.
If you have had a knee injury or surgery, try our Curovate app for your daily recovery. Curovate offers video-guided daily exercises, progress tracking, the ability to measure the range of motion of your knee and hip, and the ability to complete the KOOS outcome measurement, all within the app.
If you need more tailored help during your surgery or recovery from your injury, check out our Virtual Physiotherapy page to book your 1-on-1 video session with a physiotherapist.
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