title: Inter- and intra-observer reliability of a smartphone application for measuring hallux valgus angles.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Measurement of radiological angles can be useful in the planning of the management of patients with hallux valgus. A smartphone application offers an alternative way of measuring these angles in a clinic setting. We compared the reliability (inter- and intra-observer) of this method to the use of PACS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Radiographs of 30 feet from new patients referred with hallux valgus were examined and angles (HVA, IMA, and DMAA) recorded using the smartphone application and PACS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The smartphone application provided good inter-observer reliability for HVA and IMA (r=0.93 and r=0.79 respectively). Intra-observer reliability for HVA and IMA was also found to be good (r=0.93-0.97 r=0.82-0.93 respectively). The inter- and intra-observer reliability for using this method to measure DMAA fell below useful levels (r<0.60 in each case).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This smartphone application provides a reliable method to measure HVA and IMA but we would not recommend it to measure DMAA.
authors: Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Torbay Hospital, Lawes Bridge, Torquay TQ2 7AA, UK.
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Walter
authors: Jonathan D
authors: JD
authors: Kosy
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Cove
mesh_terms: D040421:Cell Phone; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D006215:Hallux Valgus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008682:Metatarsal Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015588:Observer Variation; D011859:Radiography; D011873:Radiology Information Systems; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012984:Software