title: The shoulder medial rotation test: an intertester and intratester reliability study in overhead athletes with chronic shoulder pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine intertester and intratester reliability of the shoulder medial rotation test (MRT) and reliability differences depending on examiner expertise.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen athletes with chronic shoulder pain participated in the study. Four independent observers with different experience levels simultaneously rated MRT performance as "correct" or "incorrect," after a standardized assessment protocol, the same day (for intertester reliability) and in a 7-day interval (for intratester reliability).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intrarater reliability was admissible for 2 experts and one novice, with κ values ranging between 0.32 to 0.76 and poor for one novice (κ <0). Interrater agreement for all 4 assessors demonstrated slight agreement (κ = 0.06; 95% confidence interval: 0.06-0.47), increasing to fair agreement (κ = 0.33; 95% confidence interval: 0.21-0.69) when comparing the MRT findings between the 2 experienced assessors. Practice with the MRT in novices only marginally improved their level of agreement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reliability of the MRT for detecting movement control of the shoulder girdle was fair at best for experienced examiners and poor overall. Dexterity and repetitive performance of the test is necessary for correct interpretation of the MRT.
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; Researcher, Pain in Motion Research Group, Departments of Human Physiology and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Physical Education & Rehabilitation, Vrije Universiteit, Brussel, Belgium. Electronic address: enrique.lluch@uv.es.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lluch
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; Researcher, Pain in Motion Research Group, Departments of Human Physiology and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Physical Education & Rehabilitation, Vrije Universiteit, Brussel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Benítez
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Lirios
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dueñas
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casaña
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Yasser
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Alakhdar
authors.affiliation: Researcher, Pain in Motion Research Group, Departments of Human Physiology and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Physical Education & Rehabilitation, Vrije Universiteit, Brussel, Belgium; Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Physiotherapy, University Hospital Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nijs
authors.affiliation: Researcher, Pain in Motion Research Group, Departments of Human Physiology and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Physical Education & Rehabilitation, Vrije Universiteit, Brussel, Belgium; Professor, Division of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, Department of Health Sciences, Artesis University College Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Struyf
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013177:Sports; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Physical Examination; Reproducibility of Results; Shoulder Joint