Remote measurement via the Internet of upper limb range of motion in people who have had a stroke.
An Internet-based goniometer has recently been developed which can be used for the remote quantification of joint range of motion (ROM). We evaluated the validity and intra- and inter-rater reliability of this goniometer for the measurement of upper limb ROM in 10 people who had had a stroke. The movements on which the device was evaluated were shoulder flexion, shoulder abduction, elbow flexion, wrist flexion, wrist extension, forearm supination and forearm pronation. Measurements performed using the Internet-based goniometer were compared with measurements made using the most widely accepted clinical joint ROM measurement tool, the universal goniometer. The Internet-based goniometer was found to be a valid tool for the measurement of upper limb ROM, with the disagreement between the two measurement tools ranging from 1.1-2.4 degrees . The Internet-based goniometer was also shown to possess a high level of intra- and inter-rater reliability (all intra class correlation coefficients>0.93). The results suggest that therapists can confidently use the Internet-based goniometer to measure the upper limb ROM in people who have had a stroke.
Hoffmann
Tammy
T
Division of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, Australia. t.hoffmann@uq.edu.au
Russell
Trevor
T
Cooke
Hana
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D053587:Arthrometry, Articular / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000502:physiology*