Testing the reliability of a field screening tool to identify modifiable risk factors in ACL injury for young women

Abstract

The objective of this Bachelor thesis is to test the reliability between two testers of a field screening tool to identify modifiable risk factors in ACL-injury for young women. This thesis was done in cooperation with physiotherapy students in Satakunta University of Applied Sciences. The practical part of this thesis was performed in Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, where two third year students were screening the injury risk for anterior cruciate ligament injury for three female first year students. The screening was performed by using a field screening tool to identify modifiable risk factors in ACL injury for young women, which is adapted from Myer et. al (2011) and Stroube et. al (2013).

The aim of this Bachelor thesis is to assess the consistency of the test results under different conditions and testers. The aim of the thesis raised two research questions: (A) Does the subjects have flaws in movement patterns based on the field screening tool? (B) Is the field screening tool reliable between two testers testing the same sub- jects?

Theoretical part of the thesis cover risk factors and injury mechanism for ACL injury for females and what reliability in quantitative research includes. A brief background of the field screening tool is presented in theory. The test results cover the outcomes of this thesis.

Based on the assessment, two testers reported 29 movement flaws together in total, occurring once or more. Average percent of agreement (PEA) between to testers for three subjects was 66%. The Kappa measure of agreement was 0,32 referring for a fair agreement.