Intra-rater reliability and agreement of various methods of measurement to assess dorsiflexion in the Weight Bearing Dorsiflexion Lunge Test (WBLT) among female athletes.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the intra-observer reliability and agreement between five methods of measurement for dorsiflexion during Weight Bearing Dorsiflexion Lunge Test and to assess the degree of agreement between three methods in female athletes.


METHODS
Repeated measurements study design.


METHODS
Volleyball club.


METHODS
Twenty-five volleyball players.


METHODS
Dorsiflexion was evaluated using five methods: heel-wall distance, first toe-wall distance, inclinometer at tibia, inclinometer at Achilles tendon and the dorsiflexion angle obtained by a simple trigonometric function. For the statistical analysis, agreement was studied using the Bland-Altman method, the Standard Error of Measurement and the Minimum Detectable Change. Reliability analysis was performed using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient.


RESULTS
Measurement methods using the inclinometer had more than 6° of measurement error. The angle calculated by trigonometric function had 3.28° error. The reliability of inclinometer based methods had ICC values < 0.90. Distance based methods and trigonometric angle measurement had an ICC values > 0.90. Concerning the agreement between methods, there was from 1.93° to 14.42° bias, and from 4.24° to 7.96° random error.


CONCLUSIONS
To assess DF angle in WBLT, the angle calculated by a trigonometric function is the most repeatable method. The methods of measurement cannot be used interchangeably.
Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Portal de Lasarte, 71, 01007, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Deusto, Paseo de las Universidades, 24, 48007, Bilbao, Spain. Electronic address: argia.langarika@gmail.com.
Argia
A
Langarika-Rocafort
Clinical Epidemiology Unit, CASPe, CIBER-ESP, BioDonostia, University Hospital Donostia, Paseo del Doctor Begiristain, 117, 20080, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain. Electronic address: joseignacio.emparanza@osakidetza.net.
José Ignacio
JI
Emparanza
Osasunkirol-Salud y deporte, Calle Foru s/n, 20280, Hondarribia, Spain. Electronic address: jose@osasunkirol.com.
José F
JF
Aramendi
Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Portal de Lasarte, 71, 01007, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. Electronic address: julen.castellano@ehu.eus.
Julen
J
Castellano
Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Portal de Lasarte, 71, 01007, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. Electronic address: julio.calleja@ehu.eus.
Julio
J
Calleja-González
D000293:Adolescent; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D056352:Athletes; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D054798:Volleyball / Q000502:physiology*; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology*
Ankle dorsiflexion; Bland-Altman method; Reproducibility of results; Sportswomen