THE INTER-RATER AND INTRA-RATER RELIABILITY OF GLENOHUMERAL JOINT POSITION AND MOVEMENT SENSE TESTS APPLIED USING AN ISOKINETIC DYNAMOMETER

Purpose: This study aimed to test the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of glenohumeral joint (GHJ) position and movement sense tests of an isokinetic dynamometer in healthy individuals. Methods: The study included 17 healthy subjects (8 female). GHJ position and movement sense tests were applied by two raters with an isokinetic dynamometer to the dominant extremity. Both tests were performed while GHJ positioned 900 abduction and elbow flexion, reference angles for position sense were 300-600 internal and external rotation and movement sense tests were conducted at 0.1 degrees/s to the both internal and external rotation directions. The error score, by averaging the three trials, was measured as the absolute difference between the target angle and the observed angle. Results: The different error types calculated for position sense were in the range of mean 0.02 +/- 1.625-42 +/- 1.74. The ICC value for the different error types was determined in the range of 0.038 - 0.657 for the intra-rater tests, and 0.095-0.779 for the inter-rater tests. The movement sense test results for different directions and angles ranged from 9.61 +/- 2.61 to 11.18 +/- 2.89. The ICC values for movemeent sense were in the range of 0.687-0.912 for the intra-rater tests, and 0.844-0.925 for the inter-rater tests. Conclusion: The isokinetic dynamometer showed moderate-good intra-rater and inter-rater test reliability in the measurement of the GHJ internal rotation movement sense. The intra-rater test reliability was poor in external rotation but the inter-rater test reliability was moderate-good. However in the measurement of movement sense, the isokinetic dynamometer showed intra-rater and inter-rater test reliability at an excellent level. The conformity of both the position and the movement sense tests, and therefore, the repeatability, was extremely good.

Automated summary

This study aimed to assess the reliability of an isokinetic dynamometer in measuring glenohumeral joint position and movement sense tests. The results showed moderate-good reliability for intra-rater and inter-rater tests in measuring GHJ internal rotation movement sense. The intra-rater test reliability was poor in external rotation, but the inter-rater test reliability was moderate-good. However, the isokinetic dynamometer demonstrated excellent intra-rater and inter-rater test reliability in movement sense measurements. The conformity and repeatability of both position and movement sense tests were extremely good.