Reliability of Common Lower Extremity Biomechanical Measures of Children With and Without Obesity.
Tucker, Jennifer PT, DPT, PCS; Moore, Megan DPT; Rooy, Julie DPT, MS; Wright, Amy DPT; Rothschild, Carey PT, DPT, OCS, SCS, CSCS; Werk, Lloyd N. MD, MPH
[Article]
Pediatric Physical Therapy.
27(3):250-256, Fall 2015.
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Purpose: To determine intrarater and interrater reliability of common measures of lower extremity alignment among children with obesity.
Methods: The Craig test for femoral anteversion, tibiofemoral angle, Foot Posture Index-6, and sit-and-reach test were performed on 25 children without obesity and 25 children with obesity.
Results: Intrarater reliability of all measures in both groups was high. The Craig test demonstrated greatest variability with slight interrater reliability in children who were nonobese [intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] (95% confidence interval [CI]), 0.372 (-0.051 to 0.6420)] and moderate reliability in children who were obese [ICC (95% CI), 0.527 (0.242 to 0.717)]. Interrater reliability for the tibiofemoral angle and Foot Posture Index-6 was moderate to substantial and for the sit-and-reach test was substantial (ICC >0.99) and highly correlated. Measurement of lower extremity alignment among children with obesity was more reproducible than among children who were not obese.
Conclusions: Measures of lower extremity alignment and general flexibility in children with obesity are both reproducible and reliable.
Copyright (C) 2015 Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association