PTOtherJournal of physical therapy science2018

The reliability of postural control method in athletes with and without ACL reconstruction: a transitional task.

Forough Ferdowsi, Azadeh Shadmehr, Seied Mohsen Mir and 3 others

PMID 30034092

WHAT IT FOUND

Force plate measurements of weight-shifting balance tasks are reliable for both ACL-reconstructed athletes and healthy controls.

Clinicians can trust these dynamic balance tests to track rehabilitation progress, as scores remained consistent between test and retest sessions.

Key findings

01There was no significant difference between test and retest scores for any balance parameter, indicating no systematic bias in the measurements.

02The test showed moderate to very high reliability within a single session (intra-session) for both groups.

03The test also showed moderate to very high reliability when repeated days later (inter-session) for both groups.

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs

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What it does not show

The findings apply only to male soccer players; reliability in female athletes or other sports has not been established. The study tested only one specific type of transitional task, so these results do not apply to other balance tests. The time between test and retest varied (two to seven days), which might influence learning effects differently than a fixed interval.

Declared interests

The research was supported by a grant from Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

The easy way to misread this

Do not assume this measurement method is reliable for all athletes or all balance tasks. The study only validated this specific weight-shifting test in male soccer players, so applying it to other populations or different movements requires caution.

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