The effect of proficiency level on measurement error of range of motion.
Kazunori Akizuki, Kazuto Yamaguchi, Yoshiyuki Morita and 1 others
PMID 27799712WHAT IT FOUND
Goniometer error decreased as testers gained experience.
For knee flexion measured by a less experienced tester, a small change may be indistinguishable from measurement error.
Key findings
01Testers with more years since goniometry training had smaller absolute measurement error.
02There was no consistent over- or under-reading: the mean difference from the reference was 0.4°, and the error did not grow systematically with larger angles.
03The change needed to stand out from random error was 14.7° at proficiency level 1 and 4.1° at proficiency level 6.
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
All measurements were made on one healthy young male volunteer, so the error values may not apply to other people. The study tested only right knee flexion with one metal universal goniometer, so it does not show the same error for other joints or devices. Students came from one university and therapists from one hospital, so the groups may not represent other trainees or workplaces. The therapists had a maximum of three years of clinical experience, so it does not show what happens with more experienced therapists.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat every small knee flexion gain as a treatment effect. For the least experienced testers, changes below 14.7° could be random measurement error; the 4.1° value applied only to the most experienced group in this study.