목적: 슬관절 동통을 평가하는데 흔히 사용되는 미국슬관절학회 슬관절 점수에 포함된 Likert 척도의 한글 번역판을 숫자 등급 척도(numeric rating scale, NRS)를 사용하여 검정하고자 하였다. 대상 및 방법: 2008년 6월부터 2009년 6월까지 본원에서 슬관절 전치환술을 시술받기 위해 입원한 환자 98명(제1군), 슬관절 전치환술 후 1년 이상(범위: 1−5년) 추시한 환자 141명(제2군), 슬관절염에 대하여 보존적 치료중인 환자 111명(제3군)의 슬관절 동통의 정도를 Likert 척도에 의한 동통의 정도와 NRS에 의한 동통 정도를 동시에 평가하여 두 척도 간의 상관관계를 Pearson 법을 이용하여 평가하였다. 결과: 총 350명의 환자의 Likert 척도에 의한 동통의 정도와 NRS의 상관관계는 −0.91이었다. 두 척도간의 상관관계는 제1군 −0.75, 제2군 −0.78, 제3군 −0.68의 상관관계를 보였다. 결론: Likert 척도는 NRS와 강한 상관 관계를 보여 슬관절 동통의 정도를 측정함에 있어 유용한 도구로 사용될 수 있을 것으로 생각된다.

Purpose: The Likert scale and the numeric rating scale (NRS) have been widely used to evaluate knee pain. The purpose of the present study is to compare the Likert scale and the NRS. Materials and Methods: The records of 350 patients who had painful knees were investigated from June 2008 to June 2009. The patients were divided into three groups. Group 1 included 98 patients who were admitted for total knee replacement, while group 2 consisted of 141 patients who underwent total knee replacement within a minimum of 1 year (range: 1 to 5 year), and group 3 included 111 patients who were treated with conservative methods. We simultaneously evaluated the Likert scale and the NRS and we analyzed the relationships between them using Pearson’s correlation test. Results: The correlation coefficients between the Likert scale and the NRS was −0.91. The correlation coefficients for each group was −0.75 (group 1), −0.78 (group 2), and −0.68 (group 3), respectively. Conclusion: The Likert scale was correlated with the NRS and there were no significant differences between these two scales for evaluating knee pain. It is believed that the Likert scale is another useful tool for expressing knee pain.

Purpose: The Likert scale and the numeric rating scale (NRS) have been widely used to evaluate knee pain. The purpose of the present study is to compare the Likert scale and the NRS. Materials and Methods: The records of 350 patients who had painful knees were investigated from June 2008 to June 2009. The patients were divided into three groups. Group 1 included 98 patients who were admitted for total knee replacement, while group 2 consisted of 141 patients who underwent total knee replacement within a minimum of 1 year (range: 1 to 5 year), and group 3 included 111 patients who were treated with conservative methods. We simultaneously evaluated the Likert scale and the NRS and we analyzed the relationships between them using Pearson’s correlation test. Results: The correlation coefficients between the Likert scale and the NRS was −0.91. The correlation coefficients for each group was −0.75 (group 1), −0.78 (group 2), and −0.68 (group 3), respectively. Conclusion: The Likert scale was correlated with the NRS and there were no significant differences between these two scales for evaluating knee pain. It is believed that the Likert scale is another useful tool for expressing knee pain.

Knee, Pain, Likert scale, Numeric rating scale