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PATIENT POSITION AND RELIABILITY OF THE FEMORAL ANTEVERSION MEASUREMENT

PATIENT POSITION AND RELIABILITY OF THE FEMORAL ANTEVERSION MEASUREMENT.

Bukowski E, Fruchter L, Riley M, and Trevelino C; MPT Program, Richard Stockton College of NJ, Pomona, NJ. Elaine.Bukowski@stockton.edu.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether patient position during femoral anteversion measurement influenced the reliability of the measurement. With little research reported on this topic, this study is significant as there are patients that cannot get into the prone position, including patients with tight hip flexor muscles and patients with back pain. SUBJECTS: Forty-seven college students between the ages of 18-35 had their femoral anteversion measured in both the prone and supine positions. All students who met the inclusion criteria for this study completed consent forms approved by the College’s IRB prior to being measured. All subjects were assigned a number to ensure the participants’ confidentiality. These numbers were used to record the collected data. METHODS: Prior to data collection, intertester reliability in measuring femoral anteversion was established. During data collection, two 3rd-year MPT students took the measurements and one 3rd-year MPT student recorded the measurements. The testers were blinded to the actual degree reading by a tape placed over the face of the goniometer. The testers placed a slash mark on the tape, which was read and recorded by the 3rd researcher. DATA ANALYSIS: Pearson correlation coefficient was used to establish both intratester and intertester reliability for both testing positions. RESULTS: All correlations were significant at the 0.01 level.

Pre-data
Collection		 Tester A:
Supine		 Tester B:
Supine		 Tester A:
Prone		 Tester B:
Prone
Tester A: Supine
Tester B: Supine
Tester A: Prone
Tester B: Prone 		 
0.756
0.613
0.729 		0.756
 
0.873
0.879 		0.613
0.873
 
0.761		 0.729
0.879
0.761


Data Collection Tester A:
Supine		 Tester B:
Supine		 Tester A:
Prone		 Tester B:
Prone
Tester A: Supine
Tester B: Supine
Tester A: Prone
Tester B: Prone
  
0.604
0.487
0.466
 0.604
 
0.533
0.425
 0.487
0.533
 
0.408
 0.466
0.425
0.408
 

CONCLUSIONS: There is a fair correlation between testers A and B supine and prone and the prone position, while there is a good correlation for the supine position. These results suggest that it may be more accurate to have the same tester measure femoral anteversion in the supine position to insure the greatest degree of reliability. FUNDING SOURCE: None.

 

Copyright 2004 by the American Physical Therapy Association

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