Date of Award

Spring 3-8-2022

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

PhD Health Sciences

Department

Health and Medical Sciences

Advisor

Genevieve Pinto Zipp, EdD

Advisor

Genevieve Pinto Zipp, EdD

Committee Member

Raju Parasher, EdD

Committee Member

H. James Phillips, PhD

Keywords

Movement screening, patellofemoral pain, injury prevention

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Patellofemoral pain is a commonly diagnosed health condition that can negatively impact short- and long-term health and wellness. Prevention strategies to screen for and mitigate the risk of developing patellofemoral pain are needed. Current screening tools evaluating lower extremity movement quality lack the specificity to identify at risk individuals.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to explore the inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity of the real-time visual observation of the single-leg squat, single-leg step down, and single-leg drop landing by athletic trainers to evaluate lower extremity movement quality related to functional activities that may predispose to knee dysfunction. METHODS: A novel screening tool was developed to assess lower extremity movement quality of the single-leg squat, single-leg step down, and single-leg drop landing. Twelve female subjects completed each task and were assessed by two clinician raters using the screening tool. Interrater reliability was calculated for the clinician raters and three-dimensional motion analysis was recorded to establish concurrent validity.

RESULTS: There was a strong, positive, significant correlation between raters for the single-leg drop landing (rs = .44, p=0.03) and the single-leg squat (rs = .64, p=0.001). There was a moderate, positive correlation between raters for the single-leg step-down, which was not statistically significant (rs = .31, p=0.137). There was a strong, positive, significant correlation between the mean scores of the raters and motion analysis for the single-leg drop landing (rs =.53, p=0.008). There was a strong, negative, significant correlation between the mean scores of the raters and motion analysis for the single-leg squat (rs = -.48, p=0.018). There was a weak, positive correlation between the mean scores of the raters and motion analysis for the single-leg step-down, which was not statistically significant (rs = .28, p=0.186).

CONCLUSION: The collective results support that the screening tool proposed to evaluate lower extremity movement quality should not be used to assess knee joint flexion during a single-leg drop landing, or to assess frontal plane knee valgus during a single-leg squat or single-leg step down.

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