| Sumario: | Importance: Poor prosthetic satisfaction in individuals with upper limb loss has been linked to delayed or nonspecific rehabilitation. The Suitcase Packing Activity (SPA) is a functional outcome measure which has been validated in healthy individuals and assesses bimanual and unilateral upper limb function through a goal-directed task. Objective: To validate the SPA by investigating the relationship between SPA scores and patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Design: Cross-sectional cohort study. Setting: Military treatment facilities, community events, and prosthetic clinics. Participants: Individuals over the age of 18 with major upper limb loss or limb difference who could speak/read English. Outcomes and Measures: Participants completed the SPA and questionnaires on patient characteristics, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®), and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH). SPA categories are time, accuracy, and efficiency. Pearson correlations evaluated relationships between SPA subscales and continuous variables. Linear regression determined if DASH score and age could predict SPA scores. Commonality analyses determined the unique, common, and total variance of SPA subscales explained by predictor variables. Results: Twenty-nine individuals with upper limb loss and limb difference (18 M, age:37.8 ± 12.0, time since amputation:15.7 ± 14.7years) participated in this study. Age, PROMIS® Social Subscale, and DASH were associated with SPA scores. Age and DASH predicted SPA Time and Efficiency. Conclusions and Relevance: SPA scores align with better PRO scores and demonstrate that the SPA has sufficient concurrent validity to evaluate function in patients with limb loss. Further investigation is warranted to use this measure to compare baseline function or changes over time. Plain Language Summary: Individuals with upper limb loss and limb difference often need to adapt and use creative strategies to perform activities of daily living. The findings from this study indicate that the SPA may be a useful tool for occupational therapists to evaluate their patients' abilities to perform salient tasks, such as packing a suitcase, even if they are using unique strategies to perform that task.
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