title: High reliability of measure of diaphragmatic mobility by radiographic method in healthy individuals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diaphragmatic evaluation is crucial in clinical practice, and no studies have reported the intra- and interobserver reproducibilities of the radiographic method to evaluate diaphragmatic mobility.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the reliability of radiographic measurement as a method for assessing the mobility of the left and right hemidiaphragms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two patients, who were waiting for cholecystectomy surgery, were evaluated relative to the following parameters: physical examination, pulmonary function and radiographic evaluation. The measure of mobility of each hemidiaphragm was randomly determined by two physical therapists at two different times. The intra- and interobserver reproducibilities of the measurements were determined by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC[2,1]) and the 95% confidence interval (CI). The Bland-Altman plot was also used. The level of significance was 5%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the analysis of intra-observer reproducibility in radiographic evaluations of the left and right hemidiaphragms, ICC[2,1] indicated a "very high correlation" for both observer A (ICC[2,1] = 0.99, p <0.001 and ICC[2,1] = 0.97, p <0.001, respectively) and observer B (ICC[2,1] = 0.99, p <0.001 and ICC[2,1] = 0.99 p <0.001, respectively). In the analysis of interobserver reproducibility, the ICC[2,1] indicated a "very high correlation" for the 1st and 2nd radiographic evaluations of the right hemidiaphragm (ICC[2,1] = 0.98 and ICC[2,1] = 0,99, respectively, p <0.001) and left hemidiaphragm (ICC[2,1] = 0.98 and ICC[2,1] = 0.99, respectively, p <0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intra and interobserver tests of the radiographic measure of mobility of the left and right hemidiaphragms showed high reliability.
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC), Centro da Ciência da Saúde e do Esporte (CEFID), Departamento de Fisioterapia Rua Pascoal Simone, 358, Coqueiros CEP 88080-350, Florianópolis, SC, Brasil.
authors.forename: Rossana V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Saltiel
authors.forename: Samantha T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Grams
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pedrini
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Paulin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D011859:Radiography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult