Reproducibility of a modified posterior talar glide test in ankle sprain conditions: a cross-sectional analysis on chronic ankle instability, copers, and healthy controls.

BACKGROUND

The posterior talar glide test (PTGT) is recommended for ankle sprain assessment, but it has limited scientific support. Therefore, the aims of this study were to assess the reproducibility of PTGT in two conditions: 1) the clinical experience of the clinician and 2) in a modified setting using a referential horizontal plane in three clinical conditions (chronic ankle instability (CAI), copers, and healthy controls).

METHODS

Twenty-eight participants were recruited. PTGT measurements were performed using two raters, i.e., novice and experienced, and performed twice with and without the referential horizontal plane with each rater on each ankle. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC) were calculated.

RESULTS

PTGT reported excellent intra-rater reliability for both novice (ICC = 0.97, SEM = 2.2°, MDC = 4.1°) and experienced rater (ICC = 0.94, SEM = 2.4°, MDC = 4.3°). Modified PTGT provided excellent intra-rater reliability for both experienced (ICC = 0.96, SEM = 1.4°, MDC = 3.3°) and novice rater (ICC = 0.96, SEM = 2.3°, MDC = 4.2°). Inter-rater reliability increases along with the addition of the referential horizontal plane, being poor to good for PTGT (ICC = 0.64, SEM = 2.8°, MDC = 4.7°), whereas moderate to good for modified PTGT (ICC = 0.78, SEM = 2.3°, MDC = 4.2°).

CONCLUSION

The PTGT appears reproducible enough to be used in a clinical setting. Its modified version, i.e., with a referential horizontal plane, offers a greater inter-rater reliability, making it a better option for research purposes.