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Lower-Extremity Rotational Problems in Children - The Journal of ...

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@<br />

44 L. T. STAHELI, MARILYN CORBETT, CRAIG WYSS, AND HOWARD KING<br />

ErrorPresent<br />

* Averages are <strong>in</strong> parentheses.<br />

Inter-Exani<strong>in</strong>erIntra-Exani<strong>in</strong>erStandardMeanStandard<br />

MeanL)eviationErrorDeviation<br />

studyPhotographic3.81-4.252.65-3.481.52-2.16<br />

1.11-1.56(3.941(3.081(l.86(<br />

(1.35)Cl<strong>in</strong>ical.<br />

<strong>in</strong>vestigated(6.481(4.911Other<br />

over-all4.9()-8.9()3.33-6.78Not<br />

studiesAshton<br />

1.70(hip)(8.40)Bocmne<br />

et al.6.01-I<br />

TABLE II<br />

RANGES AND AVERAGES* FOR INTER-EXAMINER AND INTRA-EXAMINER<br />

VARIABILITIES IN MEASUREMENT (IN DEGREES) DETERMINED IN THIS ANt) OTHER STUDIES<br />

.4(shoulder. and Aze&0.2-I<br />

.0)forearm. elbow .I I<br />

hip.knee. wrist.<br />

footBooneankle.<br />

al.1.5-4.60.6-1.4(shoulder.<br />

et<br />

elbow.(2.9)(1.0)wrist.<br />

knee.tOot)Ekstrand<br />

hip.<br />

al.'2.5-5.5(hip. et<br />

ankle)(3.7)Low knee.<br />

(elbow. wrist 14.4-7. 7<br />

(5.62)3.3-6.3 (4.6)0.69-3.69<br />

<strong>of</strong> childhood on, the mean angle rema<strong>in</strong>ed approximately<br />

10 degrees and the range <strong>of</strong> normal values was from —¿ 5<br />

to 30 degrees.<br />

Angle <strong>of</strong> the transnialleolar O.V1S(Fig . 2-F): <strong>The</strong> angle<br />

<strong>of</strong> this axis <strong>in</strong>creased and became slightly less variable with<br />

age. <strong>The</strong> mean angles and the normal ranges <strong>of</strong> the trans<br />

malleolar axis were greater than those <strong>of</strong> the thigh-foot<br />

angle. From the middle <strong>of</strong> childhood on. the mean approx<br />

imated 20 degrees and the ranges <strong>of</strong> normal were from zero<br />

to 45 degrees.<br />

Discussion<br />

As shown <strong>in</strong> Table II, the <strong>in</strong>ter-exam<strong>in</strong>er and <strong>in</strong>tra<br />

exam<strong>in</strong>er variabilities, standard deviations, and mean errors<br />

were used to compare the exam<strong>in</strong>er variabilities <strong>in</strong> the cur<br />

rent study with the f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> other reliability studies'5<br />

<strong>The</strong> f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> our study compare favorably with the values<br />

reported <strong>in</strong> other studies (Table II). For the <strong>in</strong>tra-exam<strong>in</strong>er<br />

variabilities <strong>in</strong> the present study. the over-all average stan<br />

dard deviation was with<strong>in</strong> the range <strong>of</strong> the average standard<br />

deviations <strong>in</strong> other studies ( 1.0 to 37)2.3.5.215<strong>The</strong> mean error<br />

values for these variabilities were also with<strong>in</strong> the range <strong>of</strong><br />

0.6 to 3.3 found <strong>in</strong> Low's study2. For the <strong>in</strong>ter-exam<strong>in</strong>er<br />

variabilities <strong>in</strong> the current study. the over-all standard de<br />

viations were with<strong>in</strong> the range reported <strong>in</strong> other studies<br />

(over-all average standard deviations rang<strong>in</strong>g from 2.9 to<br />

8.4)225. and the mean errors were with<strong>in</strong> the range <strong>of</strong> 3.3<br />

to 6.3 reported by Low2. As would be expected, <strong>in</strong> the<br />

present study the <strong>in</strong>ter-exam<strong>in</strong>er variabilities were greater<br />

than the <strong>in</strong>tra-exam<strong>in</strong>er variabilities, a f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g that was con<br />

sistent with those <strong>in</strong> previous studies22.<br />

Inter-exam<strong>in</strong>er variabilities <strong>of</strong> the measurements that<br />

0.06-3.3<br />

(2.24) (1.9)<br />

were made on the photographs were similar to those <strong>of</strong> the<br />

measurements that were made dur<strong>in</strong>g cl<strong>in</strong>ical exam<strong>in</strong>ations.<br />

Thus, similar accuracy <strong>of</strong> measurement can be obta<strong>in</strong>ed<br />

us<strong>in</strong>g either method.<br />

Foot-Progression Angle<br />

In the current study. the foot-progression angle varied<br />

with age (Fig. 2-A). In young children the mean was higher<br />

and the range was broader than <strong>in</strong> older children. This early<br />

relative out-toe<strong>in</strong>g was apparently due to the greater lateral<br />

rotation <strong>of</strong> the hip <strong>in</strong> this age group. Dur<strong>in</strong>g adult life lateral<br />

rotation aga<strong>in</strong> occurred, presumably due to progressive loss<br />

<strong>of</strong> medial rotation <strong>of</strong> the hip.<br />

<strong>The</strong> data for the foot-progression angle <strong>in</strong> the current<br />

study were consistent with those <strong>in</strong> previous reports. Scrut<br />

ton and Robson, <strong>in</strong> their study <strong>of</strong> fifty normal children.<br />

found that <strong>in</strong> 94 per cent <strong>of</strong> the children who were one to<br />

three years old the mean was + 6 degrees and the range<br />

was from —¿ 5 to + 15 degrees. while <strong>in</strong> the children who<br />

were older than four the mean was 4 degrees and the range<br />

was from —¿ 2 to + 12 degrees. Eighteen per cent <strong>of</strong> these<br />

fifty children had <strong>in</strong>-toe<strong>in</strong>g on one side27. Schwartz et al.,<br />

<strong>in</strong> a study <strong>of</strong> adults. found that the mean was between 5<br />

and 9 degrees, with more out-toe<strong>in</strong>g occurr<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> subjects<br />

who were more than sixty years old26.<br />

<strong>The</strong> foot-progression angle may be normal <strong>in</strong> patients<br />

with torsional deformity because medial femoral torsion is<br />

<strong>of</strong>ten associated with compensat<strong>in</strong>g lateral tibial torsion.<br />

This association was found by Fabry et al.75 <strong>in</strong> 30 per cent<br />

<strong>of</strong> the patients <strong>in</strong> their series and it was also found by<br />

Kobyhiansky et al.7 <strong>in</strong> their study <strong>of</strong>dried<br />

from the same limbs.<br />

tibiae and femora<br />

THEJOURNALOF BONEANDJOINTSURGERY

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