Affiliations: [a] Northern Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Associates, DeKalb, IL, USA | [b] Northern Illinois University, School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders, DeKalb, IL, USA
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Meri T. Goehring, PT, PhD, Northern Illinois University, College of Health and Human Sciences, School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders, Physical Therapy Program, 209 Wirtz Hall, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA. Tel.: +1 815 753 6246; Fax: +1 815 753 0720
Note: [1] We certify that no party having a direct interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on us or on any organization with which we are associated AND, if applicable, we certify that all financial and material support for this research (e.g., NIH or NHS grants) and work are clearly identified in the title page of the manuscript.
Abstract: Objectives:Limited lower trunk rotation, which includes rotation of the lumbar spine, may hinder or even prevent functional activities. Currently, due to the lack of reliable, valid, and clinically useful tests, there is no standard objective measure of lower trunk rotation that can be easily performed in the clinic. The purpose of this study was to establish a standard protocol and to determine inter-rater and intra-rater reliability for a goniometric measurement developed to measure lower trunk rotation. Methods:Lower trunk rotation was measured using a specific, goniometric method in 41 subjects. Each subject was measured 6 times by 2 different examiners for a total of 12 measurements. Results:Pearson correlation coefficients indicate good intra-rater reliability ranging from 0.59 to 0.82 for right rotation (P< 0.001) and 0.76 to 0.82 for left rotation (P< 0.001), as well as good inter-rater reliability ranging from 0.62 to 0.83 with right rotation (P< 0.001) and 0.75 to 0.77 for left rotation (P< 0.001). Conclusion:This measure of trunk rotation may be useful for objectively documenting lower trunk rotation.
