Reliability of clinical measurements of forward bending using the modified fingertip-to-floor method

Physical Therapy, USAF Hospital, Tyndall Air Force Base, FL 32404.

The purpose of this study was to examine the intratherapist and intertherapist reliability of measurements obtained with a modified version of the fingertip-to-floor method of assessing forward bending. With the modified fingertip-to-floor (MFTF) method, patients stand on a stool and forward bend so that measurements can be taken on patients who are able to touch the floor or reach beyond the level of the floor. Randomly paired physical therapists took repeated MFTF measurements on 73 patients with low back pain. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated for intratherapist and intertherapist reliability. The ICC value for intratherapist reliability was .98, and the ICC value for intertherapist reliability was .95. The results of this study suggest that measurements of forward bending obtained on patients with low back pain using the MFTF method are highly reliable.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. I. Strand, R. Moe-Nilssen, and A. E. Ljunggren Back Performance Scale for the Assessment of Mobility-Related Activities in People With Back Pain Physical Therapy, December 1, 2002; 82(12): 1213 - 1223. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. J Howell, T. Dean, L. Lucking, K. Dziedzic, P. W Jones, and R. B Johanson Randomised study of long term outcome after epidural versus non-epidural analgesia during labour BMJ, August 17, 2002; 325(7360): 357 - 357. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M S. Sullivan, L. D. Shoaf, and D. L Riddle The Relationship of Lumbar Flexion to Disability in Patients With Low Back Pain Physical Therapy, March 1, 2000; 80(3): 240 - 250. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]