Intra- and Inter-Examiner Reliability of the Viladot Method in Children

The aim of this study was to evaluate the interexaminer and intraexaminer reliability of classification with the Viladot method of plantar impression obtained by means of a footprinting mat.

Footprints were taken from 40 participants using a footprinting mat. The images were subjected to analysis by 3 independent examiners. To investigate intraexaminer reliability, the analysis was repeated by 1 of the examiners 1 week later.

Excellent intraexaminer reliability was found (κ = 1.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.77-1.0; P < .00). For interexaminer reliability, in the right foot high concordance was found for typical feet (κ_p = 0.76; 95% CI, 0.58-0.93; P < .00) and excellent concordance for cavus feet and flat feet (respectively: κ_p = 0.86; 95% CI, 0.68-1.0; P < .00; and κ_p = 0.81; 95% CI, = 0.63-0.99; P < .00). In the left foot high concordance was observed between the 3 evaluators for typical feet and cavus feet (respectively: κ_p = 0.75; 95% CI, 0.57-0.93; P < .00; and κ_p = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.51-0.87; P < .00) and excellent concordance for flat feet (κ_p = 1.0; 95% CI, 0.82-1.0; P < .00).

The Viladot method is reliable for analyses involving 1 or more examiners, presenting excellent intraexaminer reliability and high to excellent interexaminer reliability. The Viladot method is a reliable (replicable and consistent) instrument, that is, its repeated application to the same subject produces similar results.