Reliability of Spinal Range of Motion in Healthy Boys Using a Skin-Surface Device
Received 8 August 2007; received in revised form 7 May 2008; accepted 8 June 2008.
Abstract
Objective
The purpose of this study was to examine the interrater and intrarater reliability of spinal extension and flexion measurements using a skin-surface (Spinal Mouse; Idiag, Voletswil, Switzerland) instrument.
Methods
Spinal curvature was measured during standing, full flexion, and full extension in 81 healthy children (10.6 ± 1.7 years) by 3 raters on 2 separate occasions. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and standard errors of measurement were used to examine between-day and interrater reliability for thoracic, lumbar, and hip range of motion.
Results
The intrarater ICCs ranged from 0.61 to 0.96, and the interrater ICCs ranged from 0.70 to 0.93. The standard error of measurement ranged from 0.61° to 13.18°.
Conclusion
Evaluation of spinal range of motion measures in children using the Spinal Mouse demonstrates fair to high reliability.
aLecturer in Statistics and Biomechanics, Laboratory of Neuromuscular Control and Therapeutic Exercise, Department of Physical Education and Sports and Sciences at Serres, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Serres, Greece
bResearch Collaborator, Laboratory of Neuromuscular Control and Therapeutic Exercise, Department of Physical Education and Sports and Sciences at Serres, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Serres, Greece
cGraduate Student, Laboratory of Neuromuscular Control and Therapeutic Exercise, Department of Physical Education and Sports and Sciences at Serres, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Serres, Greece
dDoctoral Student, Laboratory of Neuromuscular Control and Therapeutic Exercise, Department of Physical Education and Sports and Sciences at Serres, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Serres, Greece
Submit requests for reprints to: Eleftherios Kellis, PhD, TEFAA Serres, 62100 Serres, Greece
ABSTRACT