title: Interexaminer reliability in physical examination of the cervical spine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most of the studies of physical examinations of the cervical spine have shown poor reliability.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the interexaminer reliability in physical examinations of the cervical spine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight subjects, age range 18 to 63 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two physiotherapists independently evaluated a number of clinical tests of passive general and intersegmental movement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acceptable kappa/kappa (w) values were obtained in several of the clinical tests of passive general motion range but in few of the clinical tests of passive intersegmental movement. More clinical tests had acceptable reliability and less bias in symptomatic subjects than asymptomatic subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many of the clinical tests of passive general motion range were shown to be reliable. The increased number of acceptable kappa (w) values obtained in the symptomatic subjects indicates that further studies of the reliability of the clinical tests of passive intersegmental movement should be performed on patients.
authors.affiliation: RehabCentrum, Nacka primärvård, Nacka Närsjukhus, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fjellner
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bexander
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Faleij
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Strender
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015588:Observer Variation; D010808:Physical Examination; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D015203:Reproducibility of Results