1. Diagnostic Accuracy of Handheld Dynamometry and 1-Repetition-Maximum Tests for Identifying Meaningful Quadriceps Strength Asymmetries
- Author
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Brittany N Lynch, James J. Irrgang, J Anthony Sinacore, Richard E Joreitz, Andrew M Evans, and Andrew D. Lynch
- Subjects
Adult ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Muscle Strength Dynamometer ,Adolescent ,Intraclass correlation ,Concurrent validity ,Clinical Decision-Making ,Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation ,Isometric exercise ,Knee Injuries ,Knee Joint ,Quadriceps Muscle ,03 medical and health sciences ,Young Adult ,0302 clinical medicine ,Physical medicine and rehabilitation ,Isometric Contraction ,Medicine ,Humans ,Muscle Strength ,Leg press ,030222 orthopedics ,business.industry ,Reproducibility of Results ,030229 sport sciences ,General Medicine ,Gold standard (test) ,Middle Aged ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Physical therapy ,Exercise Test ,Symmetry (geometry) ,business - Abstract
Study Design Clinical measurement, cross-sectional. Background Quadriceps deficits are common in individuals with knee joint impairments and impact functional and quality-of-life outcomes. Quadriceps strength symmetry influences clinical decisions after knee injury. Isometric electromechanical dynamometry (ISO-ED) is the gold standard for measuring symmetry, but is not available in all clinical settings. Objectives To compare concurrent validity of handheld dynamometry and 1-repetition-maximum leg press, knee extension from 90° to 0°, and knee extension from 90° to 45° to that of ISO-ED in identifying meaningful quadriceps strength deficits. Methods Fifty-six participants with knee joint impairments completed ISO-ED and 4 alternative measures of quadriceps strength symmetry in a single session. Absolute agreement of alternative measures with ISO-ED was calculated with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Clinical agreement values at thresholds of 80% and 90% symmetry were compared between the alternatives and ISO-ED. Results Knee extension from 90° to 45° (ICC = 0.67) and handheld dynamometry (ICC = 0.70) had the greatest ICCs. Clinical agreement was also best for these measures for 80% symmetry (κ = 0.56 and 0.55, respectively) and 90% symmetry (κ = 0.19 and 0.33, respectively). Conclusion Handheld dynamometry and 1-repetition-maximum testing of knee extension from 90° to 45° are fair alternatives, although symmetry is typically overestimated. Receiver operating characteristic analysis identified alternative measure thresholds that correlated with the 80% and 90% symmetry thresholds on the ISO-ED. Clinicians should use more stringent symmetry values for these alternative tests to increase the probability that individuals have a minimum ISO-ED symmetry of 80% or 90%. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(2):97-107. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.6651.
- Published
- 2017