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. 2018 May;13(3):301-304.
doi: 10.1177/1558944717702471. Epub 2017 Apr 9.

Viability of Hand and Wrist Photogoniometry

Clifton G Meals  1 , Rebecca J Saunders  1 , Sameer Desale  1 , Kenneth R Means Jr  1
Affiliations

Viability of Hand and Wrist Photogoniometry

Clifton G Meals et al. Hand (N Y). 2018 May.

Abstract

Background: No goniometric technique is both maximally convenient and completely accurate, although photogoniometry (ie, picture taking to facilitate digital angle measurement) shows promise in this regard. Our purpose was to test the feasibility and reliability of a photogoniometric protocol designed to measure wrist and digit range of motion in general.

Methods: Two independent observers examined a sample of joints in both normal and abnormal hands according to a photogoniometric protocol. Interrater and intrarater correlation were calculated, and these measurements were compared with measurements made by a third independent examiner with a manual goniometer.

Results: The photo-based measurements were reliable within and between observers; however, only a minority of these measurements were in agreement with manually collected values.

Conclusions: At present, photogoniometry is not an acceptable alternative to manual goniometry for determining wrist and digit range of motion in general. Joint-specific photogoniometry should be the subject of future study, as should relevant imaging and software technology.

Keywords: digit range of motion; digital angle measurement; manual goniometry; photogoniometry; wrist range of motion.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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