Intra-rater reliability of arch height ratio measurement using the navicular tuberosity on the surface of the body in children with Down syndrome.
Yoshihide Kanai, Hirotaka Mutsuzaki, Takumi Komuro
PMID 31164783WHAT IT FOUND
In 27 children with Down syndrome, one examiner repeated surface foot measurements three times and obtained very similar arch height ratio values.
The method appears repeatable, but it has not been compared with X-rays or tested across different clinicians.
Key findings
01One examiner measured the right-foot arch height ratio three times in 27 children with Down syndrome, and the mean values were 14.3%, 14.3%, and 14.3%.
02The study did not compare this surface measurement with X-rays, so it does not show whether the method identifies flat feet.
03Only one examiner was tested, so the study does not show whether different clinicians can obtain the same measurement.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study tested only one examiner, so it does not show whether different clinicians can obtain the same measurement. The surface arch height ratio was not compared with X-rays, so its accuracy for identifying flat feet in children with Down syndrome is unknown. Only the right foot was measured, and the choice of foot was arbitrary. Participants had to understand simple instructions and stand without assistance, so the method may not be usable for children with Down syndrome who cannot cooperate with symmetrical standing. The measured arch height can change with standing posture and weight shift, so poor posture control could affect the result. The study included 27 children from a special-needs school, so it may not represent children with Down syndrome in other settings.
Declared interests
This work was supported by a 2018 community research grant from Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this surface arch height ratio measurement can diagnose flat feet in children with Down syndrome. The study only showed that one examiner could repeat the measurement consistently; it did not compare the measurement with X-rays or test different examiners.