Evaluation of rEliability intra and intEr- Evaluators and intErtEchniquEs for thrEE instrumEnts that mEasurE thE ExtEnsibility of thE ischiotibial musclEs

Introduction: The measurement of range of motion (ROM) is important in therapeutic evaluations. It was evaluated the reliability intra and inter-valuators and inter-techniques, for three tools that measured the extensibility of the hamstring. Materials and Methods: The sample was composed of university students (n=20 /22.6±1.5 years). It was measured the extensibility of hamstring muscles of the right lower limb, and for this, ROM of the knee was examined by means of three tools: universal goniometer (UG), fixed goniometer (FG) and board goniometry (BO). There were six valuators in all, two by instrument (valuators A and B). The reliability was obtained by the index of correlation interclasses (ICC). Results: The intra-valuators reliability was heterogeneous, being: absent (FGA); moderate (UGB); high (UGA and BOB) and very high (FGB and BOA). The inter-valuators reliability was low for the FG and high for the other tools; while the inter-technique was high between UG and BO, but moderate when involving the FG. Discussion: It was observed that UG and BO are more reliable than FG and, in the clinical practice, allows an examiner to choose the tool that it is more accessible to him.