Table II.
Summary of the findings of the articles identified for inclusion (assessment of reliability)
| Authors | Journal (yr) | Title | Level of evidence | Methodology | Key results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment of reliability of testing protocols or devices | |||||
| MDD | |||||
| Click Fenter et al15 | Br J Sports Med 2003 | Reliability of stabilised commercial dynamometers for measuring hip abduction strength: a pilot study. | 4 | Hip abductor strength with dynamometer (three commonly used MDD); 10 women over 3 days, different device each day | ICCs: Inter-rater: 0.90 to 0.95 (across three devices); Intra-rater: 0.88 to 0.96 (across 2 raters and three devices) |
| Ford-Smith et al16 | Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2001 | Reliability of stationary dynamometer muscle strength testing in community-dwelling older adults. | 4 | 1 wk test, retest reliability; MDD used with a single assessor; n = 25 (age 70 to 87) | ICC: Hip flexors: 0.86; Extensors (sitting): 0.73 |
| Traina et al17 | Hip Int 2010 | A reproducible and inexpensive method of measuring hip abductor strength | 4 | Reproducibility of a make-shift MDD machine created from pads and supports in clinic; Abductor strength tested twice by two examiners; n = 10 (mean age 28 yrs) | Intrarater ICC: 0.85 to 0.98; Interrater ICC: 0.81 to 0.96; High reliability for ‘MDD’ |
| HHD | |||||
| Seko et al18 | J Phys Ther Sci 2015 | Measuring seated hip extensor strength using a handheld dynamometer: an examination of the reliability and validity of the protocol. | 4 | Measuring HHD reliability; Hip extension in sitting, prone and standing; n = 20 healthy men | Higher strength and reliability in sitting and standing positions (criterion related validity 0.81); Poor reliability in prone position (CRV 0.53) |
| Kim and Lee19 | J Phys Ther Sci 2015 | The intra-and inter-rater reliabilities of lower extremity muscle strength assessment of healthy adults using a hand held dynamometer | 4 | Measuring HHD reliability (inter and intra); Two assessors; measured muscle strength of hip, knee and ankle flexion and extension; n = 55 healthy students (age 18 to 20 yrs) | High reliability; Intra-rater (> 0.9); Inter-rater (> 0.8) |
| Bloom and Cornbleet20 | PM R 2014 | Hip rotator strength in healthy young adults measured in hip flexion and extension by using a hand-held dynamometer. | 4 | Hip girdle strength measurement using HHD; 34 healthy participants; Hip rotation strength measured in flexion and extension | External rotators: no difference in flexion vs extension; Internal Rotators: significantly stronger in flexion (p < 0.01) |
| Thorborg at al21 | Scand J Med Sci Sports 2013 | Hip strength assessment using handheld dynamometry is subject to intertester bias when testers are of different sex and strength | 3 | Isometric test performed by one male and one female physiotherapy student; Ab/adduction, flexion, extension; HHD used; n = 50 (age 20 to 30 yrs) | Intra-rater ICC 0.76 to 0.95 across different muscle groups; Female rater consistently produced lower values (p < 0.05) |
| Lu et al22 | J Strength Cond Res 2011 | The Relative And Absolute Reliability Of Leg Muscle Strength Testing By A Handheld Dynamometer | 4 | Hip and knee muscle groups; HHD used for break tests; Maximal voluntary contractions; n = 16 | Excellent relative reliabilities; (ICC 0.83 to 0.92); Knee extensors least reliable |
| Youdas et al23 | Physiother Theory Pract 2008 | Determining meaningful changes in hip abductor muscle strength obtained by handheld dynamometry. | 4 | HHD used to measure bilateral hip abductor strength in healthy participants; Make test in the supine position; One tester (female); n = 90 (age 22 to 70 yrs) | Intra-rater: ICC 0.96; Minimal detectable change measured; 5.4% in men; 5.3% in women |
| Nadler et al24 | Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2000 | Portable dynamometer anchoring station for measuring strength of the hip extensors and abductors. | 4 | Specially designed dynamometer used in measuring hip extension and abduction; n = 10 (age 25 to 35) | ICC: Hip extension (prone): 0.98; Hip abduction (lateral): 0.98 |
HHD, hand-held dynamometry; MDD, motor-driven dynamometry