Test-Retest and Inter-Rater Reliability of Isokinetic Ankle Dorsiflexor and Plantar Flexor Strength Measurement in Healthy Adults

Objective: To determine the test-retest and inter-rater reliability of isokinetic strength measurements of ankle dorsiflexor and plantar flexors.Materials and Methods: Thirteen healthy subjects (mean age: 34.3±9.2 years; female/male: 11/2) were participated in the study. Isokinetic measurements of ankle dorsiflexion and plantar flexion were performed by the isokinetic dynamometer. The participants were tested at 300 and 1200/sec angular velocities while lying in prone position. Each subject was tested three times by two examiners. All the tests were performed at the same time period of the day.Results: Intraclass correlation coefficients for test-retest reliability ranged between 0.86 and 0.92 for isokinetic measurements of ankle plantar flexion and dorsiflexion at 300/sec and between 0.81 and 0.93 at 1200/sec angular velocity. The ICC values for inter-rater reliability ranged between 0.81 and 0.93.Conclusion: Peak torque measurements of ankle dorsiflexors and plantar flexors at 300 and 1200sec angular velocities had a high intrarater and inter-rater reliability using the isokinetic dynamometer. Turk J Phys Med Rehab 2013;59:32-5.