Measurement of sacroiliac joint dysfunction: A multicenter intertester reliability study

Background and Purpose. Previous research suggests that visual estimates of sacroiliac joint (SIJ) alignment are unreliable. The purpose of this sludy was to determine whether handheld calipers and an inclinometer could be us ed to obtain reliable measurements of SIJ alignment in subjects suspected o f having SIJ dysfunction. Subjects. Seventy-three subjects, evaluated at 1 of 5 outpatient clinics, participated in the study. Methods. A total of 23 therapists, randomly paired for each subject, sen ed as examiners. The angl e of inclination of each innominate was measured while the subject was stan ding. The position of the innominates relative to each other was then deriv ed. An intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), the standard error of meas urement (SEM), and a kappa coefficient were calculated to examine the relia bility; of the derived measurements. Results. The ICC was .27 the SEM was 5 .4 degrees, and the kappa value was .18. Conclusion and Discussion. Measure ments of SIJ alignment were unreliable. Therapists should consider procedur es other than those that assess SIJ alignment when evaluating the SIJ.