Reliability of lower extremity isokinetic strength testing in adults with stroke.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the reliability of isokinetic strength testing of knee flexion and extension at 60 degrees per second, and ankle plantar flexion and dorsiflexion at 30 degrees per second in adults with stroke.


METHODS
Test-retest using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC).


METHODS
Human performance laboratory.


METHODS
Ten adults post stroke with a mean age of 64 years (five males) and 10 adults without neurological injury with a mean age of 69 years (three males) who served as controls.


METHODS
Peak torque and average torque.


RESULTS
The reliability of strength of the less-affected lower extremity was high with values ranging from 0.75 to 0.97. Knee extension, ankle plantar flexion and the peak torque of dorsiflexion were reliable for the affected limb, ranging from 0.80 to 0.90. In contrast, affected knee flexion was not reliable with values of 0.48 and 0.44 for peak torque and average peak torque respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Isokinetic knee and ankle strength of the less-affected limb are reliable. Isokinetic strength of the affected lower extremity is also reliable with the noted exception of knee flexion.
Pohl
P S
PS
Department of Physical Therapy Education and Center on Aging, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City 66160-7601, USA. ppohl@kumc.edu
Startzell
J K
JK
Duncan
P W
PW
Wallace
D
D
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction; D007866:Leg; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*