Improving upper extremity (UE) function is a high priority for individuals with spinal
cord injury (SCI).1 Currently, there is a lack of standardized measures to capture UE function specific
to individuals with SCI.2 The Capabilities of Upper Extremities (CUE) is an SCI-specific, patient-reported
outcome measure examining UE functions in individuals with tetraplegia.3 It is a 32-item questionnaire assessing self-perceived difficulty in performing specific
tasks including reaching and lifting, pushing and pulling, and wrist, hand, and finger
actions. A total score of between 32 and 224 points is available, with higher scores
indicating higher levels of UE function. Fifteen of the items assess unilateral hand
and arm function separately for the left and right, and 2 items assess bilateral arm
and hand function.3 Excellent homogeneity, test-retest reliability, validity, and minimal detectable
change have been established for people with chronic tetraplegia (>1y postinjury).3-5 Further psychometric testing is needed to determine its use in individuals with acute
SCI. The CUE has been used in intervention studies looking at UE function in individuals
with tetraplegia.6 It is being used to create the CUE-T, a performance-based hand function test that,
with preliminary testing, has shown strong psychometric properties.7
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© 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
