title: Validity and reliability of a new electrogoniometer for the measurement of sagittal dorsolumbar movements.
abstract: This study was designed to determine the validity and reliability of a new electrogoniometer devised and developed for the measurement of sagittal dorsolumbar movements (T8-S1). The validity was measured in 10 normal subjects by comparison of the angle values obtained with the electrogoniometer with those obtained with the two-inclinometer method previously validated with x-ray measurements. The total range of movement was divided into 5 degree steps, and the angle value obtained with both methods was recorded at each of these steps. The testing procedure was repeated (retest) after removal and reattachment of the electrogoniometer. Because the potentiometer of the electrogoniometer measures angular changes indirectly from changes in the curvature of a flexible slat, a special individual calibration procedure was applied, and computation of the electrogoniometric angles (Ec) representing the dorsolumbar movement was made by software. Regression analysis of Ec in relation to corresponding inclinometric angles gave a slope of 1.03 and a Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.97, indicating a high concurrent validity between the two methods. The intraclass correlation coefficient between test and retest (ICC = 0.982) confirmed the high reproducibility of the measurement procedures. The length of the slat can be changed to adapt the electrogoniometric system to different statures. Under standardized conditions, this new electrogoniometer can provide continuous measurements of sagittal dorsolumbar movements that are reproducible with an accuracy comparable to that obtained with the two-inclinometer method.
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Laboratory, Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus, Québec City, Canada.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Paquet
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Malouin
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dionne
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Comeau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002138:Calibration; D004568:Electrodiagnosis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013131:Spine / Q000502:physiology*