Reliability and Validity of Use of A Smartphone Application For The Measurement of Gissane and Bohler’s Angles in Calcaneal Fractures

Abstract

Objective: Calcaneus is the most often fractured bone of all the tarsal bones in the human skeleton. Initial evaluation of a suspected calcaneal fracture is often assessed with Böhler’s and Gissane’s angles. The aim of this study was to compare the reliability and consistency of measurements of Gissane and Böhler’s angles by using a smartphone application (iPinPoint) and a computer-based program
 Methods: A total of 41 patients were included. The measurement of fracture angulation was done by two orthopaedic surgeons twice one month apart using iPinPoint and Sectra. The inter- and intraobserver reliability was measured using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). The intraobserver variabilities between the SECTRA and iPinPoint measurements for each participant were evaluated. Interobserver variability was also determined by comparing the results of Böhler’s and Gissane angles among the surgeons
 Results: The mean difference between the two techniques were 0.9° and 0.4° for Gissane and Böhler’s angles, respectively. The intraobserver reliability of Gissane and Bohler’s angles between smartphone and computer for each observer was very good (ICC=0.938 vs. 0.943, ICC= 0.970 vs 0.979, respectively). Interobserver reliability between two observers for SECTRA and iPinPoint results were very good (ICC=0.955, ICC=0.905 respectively).
 Conclusion: iPinPoint application can be used for the measurement of Gissane and Bohler’s angles safely. In addition, there are very good results that support it as a reliable and reproducible tool for SECTRA measurements.