Clinical assessment of scapular positioning in musicians: an intertester reliability study.
BACKGROUND
The reliability of the measurement of the distance between the posterior border of the acromion and the wall and the reliability of the modified lateral scapular slide test have not been studied. Overall, the reliability of the clinical tools used to assess scapular positioning has not been studied in musicians.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the intertester reliability of scapular observation and 2 clinical tests for the assessment of scapular positioning in musicians.


METHODS
Intertester reliability study.


METHODS
University research laboratory.


METHODS
Thirty healthy student musicians at a single university.


METHODS
Two assessors performed a standardized observation protocol, the measurement of the distance between the posterior border of the acromion and the wall, and the modified lateral scapular slide test. Each assessor was blinded to the other's findings.


RESULTS
The intertester reliability coefficients (kappa) for the observation in relaxed position, during unloaded movement, and during loaded movement were 0.41, 0.63, and 0.36, respectively. The kappa values for the observation of tilting and winging at rest were 0.48 and 0.42, respectively; during unloaded movement, the kappa values were 0.52 and 0.78, respectively; and with a 1-kg load, the kappa values were 0.24 and 0.50, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the measurement of the acromial distance was 0.72 in relaxed position and 0.75 with the participant actively retracting both shoulders. The ICCs for the modified lateral scapular slide test varied between 0.63 and 0.58.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrated that the modified lateral scapular slide test was not a reliable tool to assess scapular positioning in these participants. Our data indicated that scapular observation in the relaxed position and during unloaded abduction in the frontal plane was a reliable assessment tool. The reliability of the measurement of the distance between the posterior border of the acromion and the wall in healthy musicians was moderate.
Struyf
Filip
F
University College Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Nijs
Jo
J
De Coninck
Kris
K
Giunta
Marco
M
Mottram
Sarah
S
Meeusen
Romain
R
D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009146:Music; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012540:Scapula / Q000502:physiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult