Commentary

Abstract

I would like to begin by commending Petersen and associates for their excellent idea. Although isolation of primary function through positioning and stabilization is a basic premise of specific muscle testing,1,2 little documented research has evaluated the issue of stabilization, especially of the proximal loci of control such as the scapula and pelvis. The authors have made a good beginning of data collection in this area. Although their basic design and procedural components are sound, several areas of concern do exist. First, the authors state that they used two parts of a prototype, the pelvic fixation system and the cable tensiometer. They, however, evaluated only the pelvic fixation system. Hence, the validity of the cable tensiometer, which is the basis of their statements about isometric torque development, is never validated and sheds some question on the inclusion of these torque percentages in the results.