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The Oxford shoulder score revisited

  • Orthopaedic Outcome Assessment
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Abstract

The validated, patient-reported Oxford shoulder score (OSS) was introduced around 10 years ago, primarily for the assessment of outcomes of shoulder surgery (excluding shoulder stabilisation) in randomised trials. Its uptake has steadily increased in a number of countries and its use has also been extended. Recently a number of issues have been raised in relation to other related patient-reported outcome measures which were devised around the same time as the OSS. This included recommendations to change the scoring system. This paper reviews issues concerning patient-reported outcome measures that apply to the OSS and makes some recommendations (including changes to the scoring system) as to how it should be used.

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Notes

  1. Although one series of analyses revealed patient-reported outcome measures (OSS and SF-36) to be more stable than the Constant–Murley assessment, based on comparisons with ratings on satisfaction and transition items [6].

  2. This secondary data analysis was conducted on anonymous data which had been retained from the original study [1].

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Acknowledgments

Regarding the secondary data analysis conducted to inform the table in this paper. The original study that generated these data was conducted in the early 1990s and we wish to acknowledge receipt of funding for that study by grant from Oxford Regional Health Authority (Audit). These data were retained in an anonymised form. The study complied with the laws of the UK, which at that time, did not require informed consent from patients for a purely observational study, as completion of a questionnaire was accepted as implicit consent.

Conflict of interest statement

None of the authors have any conflict of interest in relation to this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, OX37LF, UK

    Jill Dawson, Katherine Rogers & Ray Fitzpatrick

  2. Nuffield Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Oxford, Windmill Road, Oxford, OX37LD, UK

    Andrew Carr

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  1. Jill Dawson
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  2. Katherine Rogers
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  3. Ray Fitzpatrick
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  4. Andrew Carr
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Correspondence to Jill Dawson.

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Dawson, J., Rogers, K., Fitzpatrick, R. et al. The Oxford shoulder score revisited. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 129, 119–123 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-007-0549-7

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