Reliability and Criterion Validity of Physio Master Application for the Measurement of Cervical Range of Motion in...

Recent advances in smartphone applications for measuring range of motion have led to the development of the physio master application by Trinus Laboratory, Navi Mumbai. This app, equipped with a magnetometer and accelerometer, accurately measures the angle between starting and ending device positions. This study aimed to assess the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability, as well as the criterion validity, of the physio master application in measuring cervical range of motion in healthy individuals.

This study included 90 healthy individuals. The two therapists measured the cervical range of motion of each participant twice by using the physio master application (for the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability) and once with the digital goniometer (for the estimation of criterion validity). Then the reliability and validity were estimated by using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

The study found excellent intra-rater reliability for both therapists (ICCs: 0.77-0.96), with extension showing the highest reliability. Inter-rater reliability was also excellent (ICCs: 0.86-0.96), and criterion validity compared to a digital goniometer ranged from (0.79-0.93), with extension again showing the highest validity.

The results demonstrated excellent intra-rater and inter-rater reliability, along with outstanding validity when compared to a digital goniometer. These findings indicate that the physio master application is a reliable and valid alternative to traditional goniometers for measuring cervical range of motion, providing a convenient and advanced tool for clinicians and researchers.