Development of a cost effective three-dimensional posture analysis tool: validity and reliability
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Date
2013
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BioMed Central
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The lack of clear understanding of the association between sitting posture and adolescent
musculoskeletal pain, might reflect invalid and/or unreliable posture measurement instruments. The psychometric
properties of any new measurement instrument should be demonstrated prior to use for research or clinical
purposes. This paper describes psychometric testing of a new three-dimensional (3D), portable, non-invasive posture
analysis tool (3D-PAT), from sequential studies using a mannequin and high school students.
METHODS: The first study compared the 3D-(X-, Y- and Z-) coordinates of reflective markers placed on a mannequin
using the 3D-PAT, and the Vicon motion analysis system. This study also tested the reliability of taking repeated
measures of the 3D-coordinates of the reflective markers. The second study determined the concurrent validity and
test-retest reliability of the 3D-PAT measurements of nine sitting postural angles of high school students undertaking a
standard computing task. In both studies, concordance correlation coefficients and Intraclass correlation coefficients
described test-retest reliability, whilst Pearson product moment correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plots
demonstrated concurrent validity.
RESULTS: The 3D-PAT provides reliable and valid 3D measurements of five of the nine postural angles i.e. head
flexion, neck flexion, cranio-cervical angle, trunk flexion and head lateral bending in adolescents undertaking a
standard task.
CONCLUSIONS: The 3D-PAT is appropriate for research and clinical settings to measure five upper quadrant postural
angles in three dimensions. As a measurement instrument it can provide further understanding of the relationship
between sitting posture, changes to sitting posture and adolescent musculoskeletal pain.
Description
Keywords
Musculoskeletal pain, Musculoskeletal disorders, Musculoskeletal injury, Adolescents, Measurement
Citation
Brink et al. (2013). Development of a cost effective three-dimensional posture analysis tool: validity and reliability. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 14: 335