The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of the Veloflex infrared dynamic angle-meter (Veloflex-IDA) and the intra- and inter-rater reliability when measuring the ranges of motion (ROMs) of the upper limb joints. Thirty-five healthy and 20 symptomatic participants were evaluated. Twelve upper limb movements were measured in two sessions with the Veloflex-IDA, which is a device composed of a camera that tracks the trajectory of retro-reflective markers. In addition, a goniometer was used in the first session to evaluate concurrent validity. Validity and agreement were evaluated by Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and Bland-Altmann plots. Intra- and inter-rater reliability were evaluated using intra-class correlation (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC). Both instruments showed excellent correlation for all movements (r range from 0.992 to 0.999). The intra- and inter-rater reliability were excellent (ICC range from 0.95 to 0.99 and 0.90 to 0.98, respectively). Intra-rater reliability showed SEMs <1.38% and <5.19% and inter-rater reliability SEMs <2.26% and <5.22% for asymptomatic and symptomatic, respectively. Veloflex-IDA is a valid and reliable alternative to measure the upper limb joints' ROM and it can be used in clinical practice and research after basic training.
Keywords: biomedical technology; optoelectronic device; range of motion; upper limb joints.