Physiotherapist observation of head and neck alignment.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the reliability of physiotherapists' visual observation of head and neck alignment.


METHODS
An interrater reliability study with an evaluation of concurrent validity using a gold standard.


METHODS
Physiotherapy Research Laboratory, Princess Alexandra Hospital.


METHODS
Three physiotherapist raters, one male model exhibiting 53 test positions.


METHODS
Assessment of head and neck alignment required rating the direction of deviation (in each of the three planes of movement), and the magnitude of deviation.


RESULTS
All three assessors were correct across all domains of direction and magnitude of deviation for only 10 of the 53 test positions. There was a mean of 2 total errors (out of a possible 12) per position. The more planes of deviation involved in a position, the more total errors there were. Most errors were made in the axial rotation (transverse) plane. Where a lateral flexion (coronal) plane of deviation was involved, there were more total errors; however, this plane itself had the fewest number of errors. Positions with a combination of both lateral flexion and axial rotation deviations were often mistaken for a flexion/extension (sagittal plane) deviation. Fewer errors were recorded for positions of 10-degree deviation compared to 5-degree deviations.


CONCLUSIONS
Visual assessment of head and neck alignment by physiotherapists is of questionable validity for identifying deviations in the order of 5 degrees from neutral. For deviations of 10 degrees in a single plane visual, observation is comparable to other clinically available tools.
Passier
Leanne N
LN
Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Nasciemento
Margarida P
MP
Gesch
Janelle M
JM
Haines
Terry P
TP
D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000502:physiology*; D006257:Head; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck; D019370:Observation; D015588:Observer Variation; D004856:Postural Balance; D011187:Posture; D011793:Queensland; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014796:Visual Perception