Reliability Limits Of The Modified Thomas Test For Assessing Rectus Femoris Muscle Flexibility About The Knee Joint

Abstract

Context:The modified Thomas test is commonly used in the clinical setting to assess flexibility about the thigh region.Objective: To evaluate the clinical reliability of the modified Thomas test for evaluating the flexibility of the rectus femoris muscle about the knee joint.Design: Descriptive laboratory study using a test-retest design. Setting: Institution-based clinical orthopaedic setting.Patients or Other Participants: Fifty-seven individuals between the ages of 18 and 45 years with no history of trauma participated. Of those, 54 completed the study.Intervention(s): Three Board-certified athletic therapists with an average of 12.67 years of sport medicine expertise assessed rectus femoris flexibility using pass/fail and goniometer scoring systems. A retest session was completed 7 to 10 days later.Main Outcome Measure(s): Parametric and nonparametric tests were used to compare participants' test-retest results.Results Conclusions: These results call into question the statistical reliability of the modified Thomas test and provide clinicians with important information regarding its reliability limits when used to clinically assess flexibility of the rectus femoris muscle about the knee joint in a physically active population. More research is needed to ascertain the variables that may confound the statistical reliability of this orthopaedic technique.

Lumbar lordotic angle and pelvic tilt angle in the simple modified Thomas test position are easier to assess than those in the Thomas test position: A radiographic study

“…14) and for the MTT (intra-rater ICC = 0.67, inter-rater ICC = 0.50) 6) . Our method to measure the distance between the examination table and popliteal fossa might show better reliability compared to these previous studies using a goniometer.…”

“…1b). Consequently, it is possible that the MTT result in less LL and greater PT compared to the TT 6) . This test was used to evaluate the range of motion about a hip joint.…”

Hip Extension Range of Motion in Lightening Position and Active Placing of the Hip Joint in Functional Position Among Young Women With and Without Low Back Pain

“…Do oce ny dłu go ści zgi na czy sta wu bio dro we go, a tym sa mym do oce ny wy pro stu w sta wie bio dro wym, wy ko rzy sty wa ne są rów nież na stę pu ją ce te sty: Tho ma sa [17], zmo dy fi kowa ny test Tho ma sa [17] oraz test Jan dy [18]. Część ba da czy uwa ża test Tho ma sa i je go mo dy fi ka cję za wia ry god ne na rzę dzie do oce ny dłu go ści zgi na czy bio dra [9,19], cze mu za prze cza ją wy ni ki in nych ba daczy [20,21]. Nor my dłu go ści mię śni są ró żne w za le ż -no ści od me to do lo gii ba da nia (ro dza ju mie rzo ne go ką ta oraz spo so bu je go wy zna cza nia) [9,[19][20][21][22].…”

“…Część ba da czy uwa ża test Tho ma sa i je go mo dy fi ka cję za wia ry god ne na rzę dzie do oce ny dłu go ści zgi na czy bio dra [9,19], cze mu za prze cza ją wy ni ki in nych ba daczy [20,21]. Nor my dłu go ści mię śni są ró żne w za le ż -no ści od me to do lo gii ba da nia (ro dza ju mie rzo ne go ką ta oraz spo so bu je go wy zna cza nia) [9,[19][20][21][22]. Brak do nie sień na uko wych po rów nu ją cych za kres wy prostu w sta wie bio dro wym, oce nio ny w po zy cji le żą cej z ak tyw nym usta wie niem sta wu w od nie sie niu do li nii cię żko ści w po zy cji sto ją cej.…”

“…To evaluate the length of the hip flexors, and therefore to evaluate the extension in the hip joint, following tests are also used: Thomas's test [17], Thomas's modified test [17] and Janda's test [18]. Some researchers consider the Thomas's modified test as a reliable tool for assess ing the length of the hip flexors [9,19], which is contradict ed by the results of other researchers [20,21]. Nor mative values of muscle's length are different and depend on the methodology of the study (the kind of the angle measured and the method of its desigantion) [9,[19][20][21][22].…”