Intra- and interrater reliability of the 'lumbar-locked thoracic rotation test' in competitive swimmers ages 10 through 18 years

Abstract

Objectives: Measuring thoracic spine mobility can be of interest to competitive swimmers as it has been associated with shoulder girdle function and scapular position in subjects with and without shoulder pain. At present, no reliability data of thoracic spine mobility measurements are available in the swimming population. This study aims to evaluate the within-session intra- and interrater reliability of the "lumbar-locked rotation test" for thoracic spine rotation in competitive swimmers aged 10 to 18 years. This reliability study is part of a larger prospective cohort study investigating potential risk factors for the development of shoulder pain in competitive swimmers.

Design: Within-session, intra- and inter-rater reliability.

Setting: Competitive swimming clubs in Belgium.

Participants: 21 competitive swimmers.

Main outcome measures: Intra- and inter-rater reliability of the lumbar-locked thoracic rotation test.

Results: Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranged from 0.91 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.96) to 0.96 (0.89-0.98) for intra-rater reliability. Results for inter-rater reliability ranged from 0.89 (0.72-0.95) to 0.86 (0.65-0.94) respectively for right and left thoracic rotation.

Conclusion: Results suggest good to excellent reliability of the lumbar-locked thoracic rotation test, indicating this test can be used reliably in clinical practice.

Keywords: Range of motion; Reliability; Swimming; Thoracic spine rotation.