Marking Points for Goniometry

Question 1

How to reduce chances of trick movements?

Answer 1

Instruct patient to move smoothly and slowly through range

Question 2

How to improve reliability?

Answer 2

Taking multiple measurements

Use bony landmarks

Question 3

why might ROM be reduced?

Answer 3

pain, loose bodies, inhibition, paralysis

Question 4

How many times to repeat goniometry?

Answer 4

Once on good side

Twice on bad side - take the mid point

Question 5

How to record goniometry

Answer 5

Range from start point to end point - e.g. 0-90 degrees or 10-120 degrees

record both left and right sides

Question 6

How to record knee/elbow flexion?

Answer 6

example - 0-130 degrees flexion plus 10 degrees hyper extension

Question 7

What degree of accuracy should goniometry be recorded?

Answer 7

5 degrees

Question 8

What is validity?

Answer 8

the extent to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure - i.e. making sure the OM is applied to the right population etc.

Question 9

What is reliability?

Answer 9

how consistently the test can be repeated when used on more than one occasion or by more than one therapist

Question 10

what is inter-rater reliability?

Answer 10

whether the measure gives the same result for the patient when administered by other therapists

Question 11

what is intra-rater reliability?

Answer 11

whether the repeated measurements give the same result when administered by the same therapist

Question 12

what is standardisation?

Answer 12

Giving explicit instructions for measuring and scoring the item of interest to improve the validity and reliability of the test

Question 13

what is interpretability?

Answer 13

comparing the results with the normal population or the patients normal to determine what the results mean

Question 14

What is responsiveness?

Answer 14

Aka sensitivity

the degree to which the measure detects the a change in the item of interest over time. If a measurement scale has a large difference between each point it will not be sensitive to small changes in the patients condition

Question 15

what is the ceiling effect?

Answer 15

when an outcome measure is too easy for a patient so they score maximally

leaves no room to demonstrate improvement

Question 16

what is the floor effect?

Answer 16

when an outcome measure is too hard for a patient so they are unable to show progression to the lowest score

Question 17

what is acceptability?

Answer 17

Making sure the outcome measure is acceptable to patients

i.e. doesnt take too long, or isn’t too difficult, exposure etc

Question 18

what is feasibility?

Answer 18

if there is financial or organisational barriers to using the gold standard outcome measure, and a cheaper, simpler or quicker test is more practical

Question 19

Strengths of Goniometry

Answer 19

Inexpensive
Can be done at patients bedside
Quick to perform
No floor effect = can use to assess and see progression

Question 20

Limitations to goniometry

Answer 20

Inter-rater reliability - difference in ‘bony points’

Requires consistency in positioning, stabilisation and alignment

Myrin can be expensive (not always available)