No Difference in Two-Dimensional Kinematic Assessment of a 45-Degree Sidestep Cut Compared to Qualitative Assessment.
Lauren Butler, Charles Wyatt, Alexa Martinez and 9 others
PMID 37425108WHAT IT FOUND
Measuring knee angles with a phone app did not improve rater agreement compared to simple visual observation when assessing cutting mechanics in young female athletes.
Since both methods were equally reliable, clinicians can rely on faster qualitative assessments without losing accuracy.
Key findings
01There was no statistically significant difference in inter-rater reliability between the quantitative app-based assessment and the qualitative visual assessment.
02There was no statistically significant difference in intra-rater reliability between the quantitative app-based assessment and the qualitative visual assessment.
03The quantitative assessment tool demonstrated good cumulative inter-rater reliability (ICC: 0.752) and good cumulative intra-rater reliability (ICC: 0.821).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study only included two raters, both physical therapists from the same institution, which limits how well the results apply to other clinicians or different professional groups. The sample size was small (25 participants), and the study used a planned cutting task, which may not reflect the unpredictable movements athletes make during actual sports. It is unknown if either assessment method can actually predict which athletes are at risk for ACL injury, as the study only looked at how consistently raters scored the movements. The reliability of these tools has not been tested on non-clinical personnel, such as coaches or athletic trainers, who often perform initial screenings.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest and no funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that using a smartphone app to measure angles makes your assessment more accurate or reliable than watching the video. The study found no significant difference between the two methods, so the extra time spent on quantitative measurements does not yield better consistency.