97.
Inter-tester Reliability of the Hand-held dynamometer and the Leg
Extensor Power Rig applied on Patients after Total Hip Arthroplasty
Lone Ramer Mikkelsen, Mette Krintel Petersen, Søren Mikkelsen, Kjeld
Søballe, Inger Mechlenburg
Department of Orthopaedics Silkeborg Regional Hospital ; Department of
Physiotherapy , Aarhus University Hospital; Department of Orthopaedics,
Silkeborg Regional Hospital ; Department of Orthopaedics , Aarhus University
Hospital; Department of Orthopaedics, Aarhus University Hospital
Background:
Rehabilitation has an increasing focus on intensive resistance
training early after joint replacement. This increases the requests for measuring
changes in the muscle strength and muscle power over time. Hand-held
dynamometer (HHD) is a device used to measure isometric muscle strength
and Leg Extensor Power Rig (LEPR) is a tool for measuring muscle power.
Purpose / Aim of Study:
To test the inter-tester reliability of the HHD and the
LEPR in Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) patients.
Materials and Methods:
Two groups each consisting 20 subjects were
included. Mean age was 68.4 years. All subjects had THA surgery three
months prior to testing. The subjects conducted two test sessions with HHD
and LEPR, with two different testers, separated by a break of 1½ hour. We
assessed the relative inter-tester reliability with Intraclass Correlation
Coefficient (ICC) and the absolute reliability with Limits of Agreement
(
LOA).
Findings / Results:
Inter-tester reliability for the HHD: There was no
significant difference between the two testers (p=0.66) and the two tests
(0.41);
ICC=0.94 (95% CI: 0.86;0.97) ; LOA=±18 Newton. Inter-tester
reliability for the LEPR: There was no significant difference between the two
testers (p=0.62) and the two tests (0.14); ICC=0.91 (95% CI: 0.79;0.96);
LOA=±34Watt.
Conclusions:
The relative reliability was acceptable for both HHD and LEPR.
The absolute reliability showed that a change in the muscle strength/power
above 18 Newton or 34 Watt can be counted as a real change for this
population.
