ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Reliability of stabilised commercial dynamometers for measuring hip abduction strength: a pilot study

P Click Fenter, J W Bellew, T A Pitts, R E Kay

Louisiana State University Health Science Center, Shreveport, LA, USA

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Assistant Professor Click Fenter, School of Allied Health, Department of Physical Therapy, 1501 Kings Hwy, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA;
pclick{at}lsuhsc.edu

Background: Reliable quantification of hip abductor strength in a clinical setting is challenging.

Objectives: To examine the intrarater and interrater reliability of three commonly used commercial dynamometers in the measurement of hip abduction.

Methods: Supine gravity minimised measures of unilateral hip abduction strength were recorded in 10 women (mean (SD) age 23.5 (1.9) years) using three different commercially available dynameters. Measurements were repeated over a three day period with a different device used on each day.

Results: Intrarater reliability ranged from 0.880 to 0.958 across the three devices, and measures of interrater reliability ranged from 0.899 to 0.948.

Conclusion: Commercially available dynamometers can be used to quantify hip abduction strength with good to excellent reliability. A previously undescribed method of quantifying hip abduction strength in a clinical setting using readily available instrumentation is presented.

Keywords: dynamometers; hip abduction; reliability; strength

Abbreviations: HHD, hand held dynamometer; ICC, intraclass correlation coefficient

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• Widler, K. S., Glatthorn, J. F., Bizzini, M., Impellizzeri, F. M., Munzinger, U., Leunig, M., Maffiuletti, N. A. (2009). Assessment of Hip Abductor Muscle Strength. A Validity and Reliability Study. JBJS 91: 2666-2672 [Abstract] [Full Text]