Ankle size measurements with the foot in a free haning position: Reliability of the Figure-of-Eight Tape Method

Ankle swelling is a commonly encountered condition in physiotherapy practice. Reliable and easy methods of quantification are required to record progress in treatment. The aim of this study was to establish the inter- and intra-reliability of the figure-of-eight tape measure for measuring ankle size...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Guy van Herp, Talal Al Shatti
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AOSIS 1998-02-01
Series:South African Journal of Physiotherapy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://sajp.co.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/598
Description
Summary:Ankle swelling is a commonly encountered condition in physiotherapy practice. Reliable and easy methods of quantification are required to record progress in treatment. The aim of this study was to establish the inter- and intra-reliability of the figure-of-eight tape measure for measuring ankle size. Thirty-six healthy subjects were measured in long-sitting position with the foot hanging free over the edge of a plinth. Three testers performed four measurements each for a total of 12 measurements per subject. The intra-class correlation coefficient was 0.96 for inter-tester reliability and 0.94 for intra-tester reliability. The results agree with previous reliability studies using the figure-of-eight tape method on healthy subjects. The figure-of-eight tape method is easily learned and applied. It is a reliable method for measuring ankle size. Further research is needed to demonstrate the reliability and validity of the technique in a clinical setting.
ISSN:0379-6175
2410-8219