Reliability of the Active Knee Extension Test With a Pressure Biofeedback Unit

Background: The active knee extension (AKE) test commonly used to assess the flexibility of the hamstring muscles. Many researchers have tested the reliability of the AKE test; however, no published studies have examined the intrarater and interrater reliability of the AKE test using a PBU. Objects: The purpose of this study was to determine the intrarater and interrater reliability of the AKE test performed with a pressure biofeedback unit (PBU) on healthy subjects. Methods: Sixteen healthy male participants volunteered and gave informed consent to participate in this study. Two raters conducted AKE tests independently with a PBU. Each knee was measured twice, and the AKE testing was repeated one week after the first round of testing. Results: The interrater reliability's intraclass correlation coefficients ($ICC_{2,1}$) were .887~.986 for the right knees and .915~.988 for the left knees. In addition, the intrarater (test-retest) reliability ($ICC_{3,1}$) values ranged between .820~.915 and .820~.884 for Raters 1 and 2, respectively. The values for the standard error of mesurement were low for all tests ($.81{\sim}2.97^{\circ}$); the calculated minimum detectable change was $2.24{\sim}8.21^{\circ}$. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the AKE test performed with a PBU had excellent interrater and intrarater reliability for assessing hamstring flexibility in healthy young males.