title: Within-session inter-rater realiability of goniometric measures in patients with spastic cerebral palsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate whether appropriate inter-rater reliability of goniometric measurement could be achieved in children with cerebral palsy (CP) by a less-experienced and more-experienced therapist within the same session in a clinic setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five children with spastic CP underwent goniometric measurement of their right and/or left legs (46 legs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two pediatric physical therapists, with 10 and one year of experience measured five lower-extremity motions within the same session. Standard positioning, stabilization, and bony landmarks were reviewed before the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.582 (hip extension) to 0.929 (popliteal angle).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data are in agreement with the literature on the reliability of range of motion measurements in children with CP. As a result, we were able to show that inter-rater goniometric reliability can be established between a less-experienced and more-experienced therapist within the same session.
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy Department, Children's Seashore House of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren Blair
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: McWhirk
authors.forename: Allan M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Glanzman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D053587:Arthrometry, Articular; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002983:Clinical Competence; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D015588:Observer Variation; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results