STUDY DESIGN: Nonexperimental. OBJECTIVES: To determine interrater and intrarater agreement for 2 methods of evaluating movement quality during 2 lower extremity func­tional tasks, and to descriptively compare levels of agreement between the 2 methods. BACKGROUND: Clinicians typically use observational analysis to evaluate movement quality during functional tasks, but the extent of agreement is unknown. METHODS AND MEASURES: Twenty-five uninjured subjects performed 3 trials of unilateral squat and lateral step-down tasks. Three clinicians evaluated the trunk, pelvis, and hips for coronal plane and transverse plane movement deviations. Two rating methods were used: assessment of the entire movement (“overall method”) and rating each segment individually (“specific method”). Movement deviation severity was rated using basic clinical guidelines and ratings were repeated from videotape. Percent agreement and weighted kappa coefficients were calculated between rater pairs and rating sessions. Generalized kappa coefficients were calculated across raters. RESULTS: Interrater and intrarater percent agreement were higher using the overall method. Interrater weighted kappa coefficients were similar between rating methods (overall method, 0-0.55; specific method, 0.23-0.53). Intrarater weighted kappa coefficients were higher for the specific method (0.38-0.68) compared to the overall method (0.13-0.50). Generalized kappa coefficients were also higher for specific method compared to the overall method (unilateral squat, 0.19 and 0.01, respectively; lateral step-down, 0.22 and 0.18, respectively) and 95% confidence intervals remained above zero. CONCLUSIONS: Rating movement at body segments appears to result in agreement among raters that is better than chance. Neither rating method produced high agreement, indicating a need to develop more explicit criteria for rating movement deviation severity.  

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2007;37(3):122-129. doi:10.2519/jospt.2007.2457 

KEY WORDS: functional testing, hip, knee, movement analysis, neuromuscular, reliability

No prophylactic ankle stabilizer performance study has been conducted to date using high school football players, ie., players who are at risk of ankle sprains. In addition, the effect that prophylactic ankle stabilizer use has on performance by player position is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a semirigid and softshell prophylactic ankle stabilizer on performance by football player position in events testing vertical jump, speed, and agility. Twenty-five high school football players participated in the study. All subjects denied any history of ankle injury within 1 year of the study and previous experience with prophylactic ankle stabilizer use. Subjects completed 3 tests [vertical jump, 36.56-m (40-yd) sprint, and 18.28-m (20-yd) shuttle run] under 3 different ankle treatments: Aircast SportStirrup, DonJoy RocketSoc, and nonbraced control. Results of the study indicated that the Aircast SportStirrup and DonJoy RocketSoc, when compared with a nonbraced control, had no significant effect on vertical jump, 36.56-m (40-yd) sprint, and 18.28-m (20-yd) shuttle run performance. Skill players had faster 36.56-m (40-yd) sprint times than strength players regardless of ankle treatment. In conclusion, the Aircast SportStirrup and DonJoy RocketSoc did not facilitate or adversely affect performance involving vertical jump, speed, and agility of high school football players.

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 1995;21(3):147-152.

Key Words: ankle, stabilizing prophylactic, athletic performance