title: Functional Knee Extension Test (FKET): Inter-rater palpatory agreement and visual analysis during a non-weight bearing functional assessment of the knee.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inter-rater reliability of the Functional Knee Extension Test (FKET), a non-weight bearing functional assessment of the knee that is utilized within clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The design was a single-session, test-retest reliability study. Active knee extension was assessed and documented by each examiner for each of the visual, palpatory and vastus medialis obliqus (VMO) components of the FKET on fifty-seven healthcare professionals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Kappa (κ) statistic for the inter-rater reliability for the visual, palpatory and VMO variables of the FKET were slight-to-fair (0.13-0.26), fair-to-moderate (0.39-0.50), and moderate-to-almost perfect (0.57-0.93) reliability, respectively. The p-values for all variables, besides 'Visual RIGHT: TibTubExt' and 'Visual LEFT: TibTubExt' indicated statistically significant evidence of agreement above random guessing. Estimates for κ on the 'VMO Quantity: No contact' and 'VMO Timing: Start then stop' variables could not be calculated as ratings only existed across one row of the crosstabulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that the palpatory and VMO components of the FKET have sufficient reliability to justify utilization within clinical practice. Future research is needed to determine whether the implementation of a functional knee assessment protocol, including the FKET could enhance levels of reliability in clinical decision-making of knee function.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Chiropractic, School of Health Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: rick.ames@rmit.edu.au.
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ames
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Chiropractic, School of Health Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Brett S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Jarosz
authors.affiliation: School of Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baglin
authors.affiliation: School of Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Cliff
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Da Costa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010173:Palpation; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Biomechanics; Movement; Palpation; Physical examination; Reliability; Reproducibility of results