The reliability and validity of a designed setup for the assessment of static back extensor force and endurance in older women with and without hyperkyphosis.
Taybeh Roghani, Minoo Khalkhali Zavieh, Abbas Rahimi and 5 others
PMID 29368984WHAT IT FOUND
A low-cost seated pull test reliably measured back extensor strength and endurance in older women.
For those with hyperkyphosis, a gain of more than 3.9 kg in force or 74.9 seconds in endurance indicates true improvement, not measurement error.
Key findings
01The device showed very high intra-rater reliability for maximal back extensor force in both hyperkyphosis (ICC 0.96) and normal (ICC 0.97) groups.
02The minimal detectable change for back extensor force in women with hyperkyphosis was 3.9 kg, meaning smaller gains may be measurement error.
03The device demonstrated construct validity by significantly discriminating between women with hyperkyphosis and normal curvature on force and endurance measures.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
High dropout rate: 6 women could not perform the test correctly and 11 did not complete the second day due to pain or withdrawal, leaving a small final sample of 33. Small sample size limits the ability to make definitive recommendations for clinical use. Inter-tester reliability was not assessed, so it is unknown how consistent results are if different therapists perform the test. Criterion-related validity against a gold standard isokinetic dynamometer was not possible. Results are limited to healthy older women; they cannot be generalized to men or older adults with other conditions. Participants were excluded if they had a history of back pain, which may not represent the typical clinical population.
Declared interests
The authors report no declarations of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this device is ready for general clinical practice. The study had a high dropout rate, a small sample size, and did not test inter-rater reliability, meaning results may vary significantly between different therapists using the same equipment.