Article

Research indicates that rectus femoris muscle flexibility assessment
techniques suffer from multiple sources of measurement error. OBJECTIVE: To
examine whether scoring of rectus femoris muscle flexibility from digital
photographs of clinical examination using the modified Thomas test would be
highly reliable. Methods: Twenty-eight individuals were digitally photographed
while having their rectus femoris muscle flexibility evaluated using the modified
Thomas test. Therapists were then asked to view these digital photographs and
score participant's flexibility using modified Thomas test scoring criteria. A
retest session was completed approximately 1-week later. RESULTS: Kappa values
for positive/negative scoring (intra-rater experienced X = 0.86, in-experienced X
= 0.98; interrater experienced X = 0.95, in-experienced X = 0.99) and ICC values
for goniometer scoring (intra-rater experienced X = 0.98, in-experienced X =
0.98; interrater experienced X = 0.97, in-experienced X = 0.98) indicated very
high levels of reliability. Measurement error values (SEM = 1.0 degrees , ME =
1.53 degrees , and CV = 3%) and Bland and Altman plots (with 95% limits of
agreement) further illustrated the very small degree of scoring variance.
CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that goniometer and positive/negative scoring of
rectus femoris muscle flexibility from digital photographs of clinical
examination using the modified Thomas test were highly reliable. This finding
suggests that using digital photography as a means to document patient function
during clinical examination may serve as a method to help standardize physical
assessment, minimize error measurement, and assist the clinician/researcher in
establishing whether an observed change between testing sessions is clinically significant.
- Fémur

Langue : ANGLAIS