title: Test-retest reliability of seven common clinical tests for assessing lower extremity muscle flexibility in futsal and handball players.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the inter-session reliability of seven lower limb muscle flexibility measures obtained from the passive hip extension test (PHE), passive hip flexion test (PHF), passive hip abduction test (PHA), passive straight leg raise test (PSLR), modified Thomas test (MTh), the ankle dorsi-flexion with knee extended (ADFKE) and flexed (ADFKF) tests.
  
  
  METHODS
  Repeated measures design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled laboratory environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  60 futsal and 30 handball players.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reliability was examined through the change in the mean (ChM), standard error of measurement expressed in absolute values (SEM) and as a percentage of the mean score (%SEM), minimal detectable change (MDC95), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,k).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings showed negligible ChM values for all the flexibility measures analysed (<1°). Furthermore, the SEM and MDC95 for each flexibility measure ranged from 1.3° to 2.5° and from 3.8° to 6.9°, respectively, with %SEM scores lower than 10% and ICC scores higher than 0.88.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinicians can be 95% confident that an observed change between 2 measures larger than 3.7°, 6.2°, 5.5°, 6.1°, 6.9°, 4.7°, and 5.0° for the flexibility measures obtained from the PHE, PHF, PHA, PSLR, MTh, ADFKE and ADFKF, respectively, likely indicates a real change in muscle flexibility.
authors.affiliation: INACUA Sports Centre, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cejudo
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Activity, University of Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sainz de Baranda
authors.affiliation: Sports Research Centre, Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Alicante, Spain; ISEN University Formation, Center Affiliate to the University of Murcia, Spain. Electronic address: Franciscoayalarodriguez@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ayala
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Spain; Department of Traumatology, V. de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Santonja
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D018583:Pliability; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Injury; Muscle strain; Range of motion; Reproducibility