Interrater Reliability of Subtalar Neutral, Calcaneal Inversion and Eversion

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to determine the interrater reliability of the measurements of calcaneal inversion/eversion and subtalar joint neutral (STJN) in a patient population; to compare STJN using the mathematical and palpatory methods; and to compare the amount of calcaneal eversion in prone, bilateral stance, and unilateral stance. Three examiners measured 20 patients with recent ankle pathology according to a standardized protocol. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to determine interrater reliability. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine if a difference in motion existed between test positions. The results demonstrated that prone measurements of calcaneal inversion/eversion and STJN had low to moderate interrater reliability (ICC ranged from 0.25 to 0.60). Weight bearing measurements of calcaneal position demonstrated high interrater reliability (r = 0.91 in bilateral stance, r = 0.75 in unilateral stance). These findings suggest that nonweightbearing measurements may be of limited value in assessing subtalar joint range of motion. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1990;12(1):10-15.