Reliability and Validity of Trunk Accelerometry-Derived Performance Measurements in a Standardized Heel-Rise Test in Elderly Subjects
By Schmid, Stefan; Hilfiker, Roger; Radlinger, Lorenz; Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, Volume 48, Number 9, pages 1137-1144Publication Date: 2011
Cross-sectional study evaluated the intrasession reliability and concurrent validity of trunk accelerometry with force plate measurements for vertical ground reaction force and external mechanical power recorded during a standardized heel-rise (HR) test in elderly patients. Participants were 54 seniors living in 3 retirement homes who had a mean age of 81.2 years, 40 of whom were women. After being fitted with a triaxial accelerometer and a transmitter unit, participants were asked to lift their heels as fast and as high as possible while standing on a force plate with both feet. The test consisted of 3 HR trials with rests of 30 seconds in between. Peak force as well as peak and average power revealed intraclass correlation coefficients of more than 0.75 and low standard errors of measurement for both the force plate and accelerometer based curves. Correlation coefficients for these variables ranged from 0.95 to 0.98. The accelerometry-derived variables indicated significantly lower absolute values. These results indicate that trunk accelerometry can be used as a reliable and valid tool for the quantification of the HR test in the elderly population. Study limitations and implications for further research to fully validate this tool for clinical use are discussed.
Published by:
VA Rehabilitation Research & Development Service (Web Site: http://www.rehab.research.va.gov )
Link to text: http://www.rehab.research.va.gov/jour/11/489/schmid489.html
