Test-retest reliability of an Android application (Protractor) for range of motion evaluation

Authors

  • Sabah Mohamed Elkady Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Egypt
  • Reda Kotb Abd Elrazik Department of Physical Therapy for Musculoskeletal Disorders and its Surgery, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Benha University, Egypt
  • Hossam Mohammed Alsaid Department of Physical Therapy for Neurology, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Egypt
  • Mohammed Youssef Elhamrawy Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Middle East University, Amman, Jordan
  • Ahmed Mashaal Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Isra University, Amman, Jordan.
  • Amany Refaat Mohamed Abdel Wahid Department of Physical Therapy for Surgery, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Egypt
  • Doaa Atef Department of Physical Therapy for Surgery, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Egypt
DOI: https://doi.org/10.6018/sportk.589561
Keywords: Range of Motion, Reliability, Smartphone, Mobile Application, Protractor

Abstract

Several tools are used by physical therapists to assess the range of motion (ROM) for joints of the upper and lower limbs. However, most of them are costly, time-consuming, and difficult to use. The current study aimed to determine the within-visit test-retest reliability of an android application (App) (Protractor) for elbow, wrist and ankle joints range of motion evaluation in outpatients with post fracture fixation.  We evaluated the Android App (Protractor) in twenty-six patients with a mean age of 30 years, who had undergone operative treatment for fractures around the elbow, wrist, and ankle. These patients were recruited from the physiotherapy outpatient clinic at the Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University. Repeated measures were performed within the same session, focusing on motions in the sagittal plane for the elbow, wrist, and ankle joints. All measurements were conducted by the same investigator. Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) were calculated. Within-visit test retest intra-rater reliability for elbow, ankle, and wrist joints, ROM was excellent (r and ICC≥0.99) except for wrist joint flexion ROM, it was weak and insignificant. The mean group difference of measures obtained in the first and second measurements was close to zero, with the exception of wrist joint flexion, which was -5 degrees, and ankle joint plantar flexion, which was +2 degrees. The Smartphone android App (Protractor) displayed reasonable within-visit reliability.

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Published
18-10-2023
How to Cite
Mohamed Elkady, S. ., Abd Elrazik, R. K. ., Mohammed Alsaid, H. ., Youssef Elhamrawy, M. ., Mashaal, A., Mohamed Abdel Wahid, A. R. ., & Atef, D. . (2023). Test-retest reliability of an Android application (Protractor) for range of motion evaluation. SPORT TK-EuroAmerican Journal of Sport Sciences, 12, 40. https://doi.org/10.6018/sportk.589561
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