Construct validity and reliability of tests for sacroiliac dysfunction: standing flexion test (STFT) and sitting flexion test (SIFT).
CONTEXT
Sacroiliac dysfunction is characterized by a hypomobility of the range of motion of the joint, followed by a positional change regarding the relationship between the sacrum and the iliac. In general, the clinical tests that evaluate the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) and its dysfunctions lack validity and reliability values.


OBJECTIVES
This article aims to evaluate the construct validity and intra- and inter-rater reliability of the standing flexion test (STFT) and sitting flexion test (SIFT).


METHODS
In this prospective study, the sample consisted of 30 individuals of both sexes, and the evaluation team was composed of five researchers. The evaluations took place on two different days: first day, inter-rater reliability and construct validity; and second day, intra-rater reliability. The reference standard for the construct validity was 3-dimensional measurements obtained utilizing the BTS SMART-DX system. For statistical analysis, the percentage (%) agreement and the kappa statistic (K) were utilized.


RESULTS
The construct validity was determined for STFT (70% agreement; K=0.49; p<0.01) and SIFT (56.7% agreement; K=0.29; p<0.05). The intra-rater reliability was determined for STFT (66.3% agreement; K=0.43; p<0.01) and SIFT (56.7% agreement; K=0.38; p<0.01). The inter-rater reliability was determined for STFT (10% agreement; K=-0.02; p=0.825) and SIFT (13.3% agreement; K=0.01; p=0.836).


CONCLUSIONS
The STFT confirmed the construct validity and was reliable when applied by the same rater to healthy people, even if the rater had no experience. It was not possible to achieve minimum scores using the SIFT either for construct validity or reliability. We suggest that further studies be conducted to investigate the measurement properties of palpatory clinical tests for SIJ mobility, especially in symptomatic patients.
['Ribeiro|Rafael P|RP|0000-0002-2696-9026', 'Guerrero|Filipe G|FG|0000-0003-1243-3850', 'Camargo|Eduardo N|EN|0000-0002-1562-6431', 'Pivotto|Luiza R|LR|0000-0001-9746-9996', 'Aimi|Mateus A|MA|0000-0003-1667-8409', 'Loss|Jefferson F|JF|0000-0001-5948-6357', 'Candotti|Cláudia T|CT|0000-0002-8676-9157']
D005260:Female D006801:Humans D008297:Male D010808:Physical Examination D011446:Prospective Studies D016059:Range of Motion, Articular D015203:Reproducibility of Results D000077708:Sitting Position
standing flexion test (STFT) range of motion sacroiliac joint articular musculoskeletal manipulations sitting flexion text (SIFT)