Introduction: Measuring the extent of joint mobility is an important part of physiotherapy
treatment. It is used to establish the goal of treatment, assess improvement, modify
treatment, motivate the patient, and study the effects of specific physiotherapy methods
and techniques. The most commonly used technique is the goniometric technique, with the
universal goniometer being the most commonly used instrument. Purpose: The purpose of
this thesis is to determine the repeatability and reliability of measuring active range of
motion in the knee joint using a universal goniometer. Methods: The study was approved
by the Republic Slovenia National Medical Ethics Committee. It included 40 healthy
participants (21 women and 19 men) whose mean age was 21.7 (1.1) years. Measurements
were performed in 2 sessions 48 hours apart. In each session, participants performed three
consecutive flexion and extension movements with the left and right knee joints. Results:
There were no statistically significant differences between the two sexes in the
measurements of active range of motion toward flexion or extension. Regarding
repeatability, all intraclass correlation coefficient values were above 0.9, indicating very
good repeatability; however, flexion measurements were found to be more repeatable than
extension measurements. In determining reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient
values for the extension measurements ranged from 0.6 to 0.8, indicating good to moderate
reliability of the measurement, while the intraclass correlation coefficient values for the
flexion ranged from 0.8 to 0.9, indicating rather good to excellent reliability. Similarly, the
flexion measurements were more reliable than the extension measurements. The lowest
value of smallest detectable change was 1.6° in extension of the right knee joint and the
highest value was 2.3° in flexion of both the right and left knee joints. Discussion and
conclusion: The universal goniometer is a device with excellent repeatability and good to
very good reliability. It is easy to use, accessible and affordable.
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