Abstract
BackgroundThe Single Leg Squat test (SLS) is a common tool used in clinical examination to set and evaluate rehabilitation goals, but there is not one established SLS test used in the clinic. Based on previous scientific findings on the reliability of the SLS test and with a methodological rigorous setup, the aim of the present study was to investigate the intra- and interrater reliability of a standardised multi-segmental SLS test.MethodsWe performed a study of measurement properties to investigate the intra- and interrater reliability of a standardised multi-segmental SLS test including the assessment of the foot, knee, pelvis, and trunk. Novice and experienced physiotherapists rated 65 video recorded SLS tests from 34 test persons. We followed the Quality Appraisal for Reliability Studies checklist.ResultsRegardless of the raters experience, the interrater reliability varied between “moderate” for the knee variable (ĸ = 0.41, 95% CI 0.10–0.72) and “almost perfect” for the foot (ĸ = 1.00, 95% CI 1.00–1.00). The intrarater reliability varied between “slight” (pelvic variable; ĸ = 0.17, 95% CI -0.22-0.55) to “almost perfect” (foot variable; ĸ = 1.00, 95% CI 1.00–1.00; trunk variable; ĸ = 0.82, 95% CI 0.66–0.97). A generalised kappa coefficient including the values from all raters and segments reached “moderate” interrater reliability (ĸ = 0.52, 95% CI 0.43–0.61), the corresponding value for the intrarater reliability reached “almost perfect” (ĸ = 0.82, 95% CI 0.77–0.86).ConclusionsThe present study shows a “moderate” interrater reliability and an “almost perfect” intrarater reliability for the variable all segments regardless of the raters experience. Thus, we conclude that the proposed standardised multi-segmental SLS test is reliable enough to be used in an active population.
Highlights
The Single Leg Squat test (SLS) is a common tool used in clinical examination to set and evaluate rehabilitation goals, but there is not one established SLS test used in the clinic
Study design This study investigated the intra- and interrater reliability of video-recorded SLS tests and followed the Quality Appraisal for Reliability Studies checklist (QAREL) [35] which can be found in Additional file 1
All data from the inter- and intrarater reliability assessment of the SLS test are presented in Tables 3 and 4
Summary
The Single Leg Squat test (SLS) is a common tool used in clinical examination to set and evaluate rehabilitation goals, but there is not one established SLS test used in the clinic. The Single Leg Squat test (SLS) is a functional movement test widely used in clinical settings to visually assess movement quality of the lower extremity and is proposed to have biomechanical and neuromuscular similarities to a wide range of athletic movements as it simulates common athletic positions such as cutting, jumping, and landing [14, 15]. It is commonly included in various screening and test batteries used in sports medicine [16,17,18,19]. One important aspect is the position of the non-weight bearing leg where the behind position seems to have the most kinematic differences from the front or below position [28]
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