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Reliability of function-related tests in patients with shoulder pathologies
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy
|August 19, 2006
Summary
Function-related tests for shoulder pathologies demonstrate high reliability for clinical use. These tests accurately document reduced shoulder function and measure different functional aspects in patients.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Physical Therapy
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Shoulder pathologies often lead to functional limitations.
- Function-related tests can supplement the assessment of functional deficits in patients with shoulder conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the intertester and intratester reliability of a set of function-related tests.
- To assess these tests in patients experiencing shoulder pathologies and restricted range of motion.
Main Methods:
- Nonexperimental study involving 46 patients with shoulder pathologies and 46 matched controls.
- Three function-related tests (hand to neck, hand to scapula, hand to opposite scapula) were administered.
- Intertester reliability was assessed by two independent physiotherapists; intratester reliability by repeated testing by the same physiotherapist.
Main Results:
- High reliability was found for all three tests, with weighted kappa values ranging from 0.83 to 0.90.
- Patients with shoulder pathologies exhibited significantly lower test performance compared to the control group.
- A moderate level of association was observed among the three tests (r = 0.64 to 0.66).
Conclusions:
- The function-related tests are reliable and suitable for clinical application in documenting shoulder dysfunction.
- Each of the tested function-related movements assesses distinct components of shoulder function.
