INTRAEXAMINER RELIABILITY, INTEREXAMINER RELIABILITY, AND MEAN-VALUESFOR 9 LOWER-EXTREMITY SKELETAL MEASURES IN HEALTHY NAVAL MIDSHIPMEN

Physical therapists, athletic trainers, and other health care professi onals commonly evaluate static postures and dynamic motions in patient s with skeletal malalignments of the lower extremity. Accurate clinica l evaluation of these malalignments depends on reliable and valid meas ures as well as established normal values. The purpose of this study w as to document the intraexaminer and interexaminer reliability and mea n values for nine static lower extremity skeletal measures in healthy Naval midshipmen. The measures studied were femoral torsion, ankle dor siflexion, tibial length, leg length discrepancy, genu varus/valgus, m edial talonavicular joint bulge, rearfoot angle, arch angle, and foot type classification. Intraexaminer and interexaminer reliability ICCs ranged between .65 and .97, and percentage agreements ranged between 8 8.8 and 94.4%. Mean absolute difference values all were within accepta ble limits for clinical measurement A foot type classification scheme was suggested. The results of this study indicate that the measures in vestigated are reliable when conducted on healthy Naval midshipmen by experienced examiners. Suggestions for further research are offered.