2008). In line with this assumption, Wind et al. (2009a) showed that performance-based information was found to have complementary value in the assessment of the physical work ability JNK-IN-8 research buy of claimants with MSDs according to 68% of the physicians. In addition, these same physicians change their judgment of the physical work ability of claimants with MSDs in the context of disability claim procedures more often when performance-based outcomes are provided versus traditional information obtained from anamnesis and the medical file (Wind et al. 2009b). Despite these supportive

findings for the use of performance-based measures in the assessment for work participation in patients with MSDs, a recent Cochrane review concluded that there is no evidence available for or against the effectiveness of performance-based measures compared Angiogenesis inhibitor with no assessment as intervention for preventing occupational re-injuries in workers with MSDs (Mahmud et al. 2010). The predictive validity of these measures for work participation, however, was not studied. Until now, it is only known that the assessment

of work ability in patients with MSDs using a patient’s questionnaire, a clinical examination by a physician or by performance-based filipin measures resulted in large differences regarding the estimated work ability (Brouwer et al. 2005). The questionnaire resulted in the highest amount of work limitations and in the performance-based measures in the lowest amount. Therefore, to shed more light on the predictive validity of performance-based measures for the participation in work, a systematic review

was performed to answer the following question: “How well do performance-based measures predict work participation in patients with MSDs?” As far as we know, this review is the first on the predictive validity of performance-based tests for work participation since the review of Innes and Straker (1999). Their review demonstrated paucity in studies focussing on predictive validity. The answer to the research question is relevant because few instruments are available to support physicians in work ability assessments and performance-based measures are not often used (De Boer et al. 2009; Wind et al. 2006), probably partly due to its unknown value for work participation. Methods A systematic review of the literature was performed.