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Reliability Analysis of In-person and Virtual Goniometric Measurements of the Upper Extremity
Tracy Spigelman1, Leah Simpkins2, Casey Humphrey2
1Parks and Recreation Exercise and Sports Science Eastern Kentucky University.
International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy
|August 7, 2023
Summary
Virtual goniometric measurements for the upper extremity demonstrate good to excellent reliability, comparable to in-person assessments. This suggests virtual tools can be effectively used for motion assessment in clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Physical Therapy
- Digital Health
Background:
- Virtual healthcare necessitates adaptations in musculoskeletal evaluations, including motion assessment.
- Reliability of virtual goniometric measurements for the upper extremity remains largely unestablished.
- In-person goniometric measurements offer acceptable to excellent reliability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the comparability of upper extremity goniometric measurements obtained virtually versus in-person.
- To determine the reliability of virtual goniometric assessments in a clinical setting.
Main Methods:
- A reliability study was conducted in a classroom setting with participants over 18 years old and no upper extremity injuries.
- Clinicians performed in-person goniometric measurements (shoulder, elbow, wrist flexion/extension) twice.
- Virtual measurements were taken from mobile device images captured during the in-person session.
- Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability were calculated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC).
Main Results:
- Excellent inter-rater reliability was observed for most in-person (ICC≥0.81) and virtual (ICC≥0.78) measurements.
- Good reliability was noted for in-person wrist extension (ICC=0.60) and virtual wrist flexion (ICC=0.65).
- Intra-rater reliability ranged from good to excellent for both in-person (ICC: 0.61-0.96) and virtual (ICC: 0.72-0.97) measurements.
- Virtual assessments showed a higher percentage of excellent ICC values (90%) compared to in-person (70%).
- Statistically significant differences between in-person and virtual measurements were found for five of six joint movements (p≤0.006).
Conclusions:
- Virtual goniometric measurements achieve good to excellent inter- and intra-rater reliability (ICC > 0.60).
- Clinicians can confidently utilize goniometry on virtual platforms, mirroring in-person assessment capabilities.
- The findings support the integration of virtual goniometry into clinical practice for musculoskeletal evaluations.
