title: Inter-rater Reliability of Sustained Aberrant Movement Patterns as a Clinical Assessment of Muscular Fatigue.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The assessment of clinical manifestation of muscle fatigue is an effective procedure in establishing therapeutic exercise dose. Few studies have evaluated physical therapist reliability in establishing muscle fatigue through detection of changes in quality of movement patterns in a live setting.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to evaluate the inter-rater reliability of physical therapists' ability to detect altered movement patterns due to muscle fatigue.
  
  
  METHODS
  A reliability study in a live setting with multiple raters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four healthy individuals (ages 19-35) were evaluated by six physical therapists in a live setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were evaluated by physical therapists for altered movement patterns during resisted shoulder rotation. Each participant completed a total of four tests: right shoulder internal rotation, right shoulder external rotation, left shoulder internal rotation and left shoulder external rotation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For all tests combined, the inter-rater reliability for a single rater scoring ICC (2,1) was .65 (95%, .60, .71) This corresponds to moderate inter-rater reliability between physical therapists.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study apply only to healthy participants and therefore cannot be generalized to a symptomatic population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Moderate inter-rater reliability was found between physical therapists in establishing muscle fatigue through the observation of sustained altered movement patterns during dynamic resistive shoulder internal and external rotation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI, USA; Department of Wellness & Rehabilitation, Indiana University Health La Porte Hospital, La Porte, IN, USA.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aerts
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI, USA; Physical Therapy Services of West Michigan, Kalamazoo, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Carrier
authors.affiliation: Department of Wellness & Rehabilitation, Indiana University Health La Porte Hospital, La Porte, IN, USA.
authors.forename: Becky
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alwood
keywords: Dose; medical exercise therapy; muscle fatigue; physical therapy; shoulder; therapeutic exercise