Reliability and Validity of Direct Arch Measurement under Quantitative Partial Weight Bearing

Abstract

[Purpose] Direct arch measurement under quantitative partial weight bearing (DAM-under-qPWB) has been developed as a new method for measuring the medial longitudinal arch. This study examined the reliability and validity of DAM-under-qPWB with respect to the navicular drop test (NDT). [Participants and Methods] The participants were 12 young adults and a total of 24 feet were measured. DAM-under-qPWB was measured under 2 conditions, namely, 50% and 100% weight-bearing. Two testers were responsible for recording the measurements. The inter- and intra-class correlation coefficients for the 2 testers were determined. To quantify the validity, the correlation between DAM-under-qPWB and NDT was determined. [Results] DAM-under-qPWB was confirmed to have high reliability in this study. Correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between DAM-under-qPWB and the NDT. [Conclusion] The findings of this study suggest that DAM-under-qPWB can be used for the evaluation of the medial longitudinal arch.