title: Intrarater reliability of goniometry and hand-held dynamometry for shoulder and elbow examinations in female team handball athletes and asymptomatic volunteers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the intrarater reliability for examining active range of motion (ROM) and isometric strength of the shoulder and elbow among asymptomatic female team handball athletes and a control group using a manual goniometer and hand-held dynamometry (HHD).
  
  
  METHODS
  22 female team handball athletes (age: 21.0 ± 3.7 years) and 25 volunteers (13 female, 12 male, age: 21.9 ± 1.24 years) participated to determine bilateral ROM for shoulder rotation and elbow flexion/extension, as well as isometric shoulder rotation and elbow flexion/extension strength. Subjects were assessed on two separate test sessions with 7 days between sessions. Relative (intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM) reliability were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reliability for ROM and strength were good to excellent for both shoulders and groups (athletes: ICC = 0.94-0.97, SEM 1.07°-4.76 N, controls: ICC = 0.96-1.00, SEM = 0.00 N-4.48 N). Elbow measurements for both groups also showed good-to-excellent reliability (athletes: ICC = 0.79-0.97, SEM = 0.98°-5.94 N, controls: ICC = 0.87-1.00, SEM = 0.00 N-5.43 N).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is important to be able to reliably reproduce active ROM and isometric strength evaluations. Using a standardized testing position, goniometry and HHD are reliable instruments in the assessment of shoulder and elbow joint performance testing. We showed good-to-excellent reproducible results for male and female control subjects and female handball athletes, although the single parameters in ROM and strength were different for each group and between the shoulders and elbows.
authors.affiliation: Center of Orthopedic Surgery (ZOC), Burckhardtstrasse 60, 34346, Hann. Muenden, Germany. dr.fieseler@zoc-hann-muenden.de.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fieseler
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Molitor
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Irlenbusch
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Karl-Stefan
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Delank
authors.affiliation: School of Kinesiology and Recreation, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, 61790, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Laudner
authors.affiliation: Tunisian Researches Laboratory "Sport Performance Optimization", Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Souhail
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hermassi
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Rene
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schwesig
mesh_terms: D053587:Arthrometry, Articular / Q000379:methods*; D056352:Athletes; D004551:Elbow Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D053581:Muscle Strength Dynamometer; D010808:Physical Examination; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D014838:Volunteers; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Elbow; Goniometry; Hand-held dynamometry; Range of motion; Reliability; Shoulder; Strength