Abstract
The measurement of joint range of motion by the conventional goniometer requires the time and skilled technique of examiners, such as a palpation of bone index and preparation of basic or locomotive axis. In the present study, joint range of motion was simply measured by an inclination goniometer in order to examine the validity and reproducibility of measurement values. Among 17 healthy male subjects (average age: 22.3 years), flexion angles of elbow and knee of 34 extremities were measured both by the conventional goniometer and the inclination goniometer. There was a high correlation between the measurement values by the inclination goniometer and that by the conventional goniometer (r=0.77-0.89), and only two extremities of elbow joint indicated a measurement error of over 10 degrees. In order to examine the reproducibility of measurement values, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was obtained. Intrarater and interrater ICC were higher in the measurement by the inclination goniometer than in that by the conventional goniometer. These results certify the validity and reproducibility of measurement of joint range of motion by the inclination goniometer. This simple method is applicable to the improvement in self-management of patients and to learning process of measurement techniques among physical or occupational therapy students.
