Investigation of The Accuracy of Palpation of Physical Therapy Students to Different Anatomical Landmarks

Abstract

Purpose: Surface anatomy plays a crucial role in physical therapy education as it enables the examination of subcutaneous structures through palpation. This study aims to investigate the accuracy of palpation on landmarks among physical therapy students (PT). Material and Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study evaluated the accuracy of palpation on anatomical landmarks. The researchers specified 21 landmarks for palpation assessment. Each landmark was scored on a scale of 0 to 3, and the Landmark Total Palpation Score (Lt) was calculated based on the scores of all 21 landmarks. A higher score indicated poorer accuracy in identifying anatomical landmarks. Results: The participants' Lt scores had a mean of 10.09 ± 9.66, with a standard deviation. The Lt demonstrated excellent intra-rater reliability (ICC = 0.91). Conclusion: The study findings indicate a good level of anatomical landmark identification among PT students. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that there was a good level anatomical landmark identification among PT students