Hip range of motion (ROM) is a common variable used by clinicians to assess the hip function. Smartphones are present in the daily life of almost the entire population and most of health practitioners own one of them. Smartphones allow to download different applications to measure the ROM. However, there is a lack of studies evaluating the intra- and inter-rater reliability of two Smartphone applications from different operating systems. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the intra- and inter-rater reliability of two Smartphone applications (Clinometer for Android and Measures for iOS) for the evaluation of passive hip ROM in asymptomatic patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2018 and April 2019. The Android application “Clinometer” and iOS application “Measures” were used to measure the hip ROM following a described protocol. 15 asymptomatic patients (30 hips) were assessed for internal rotation, external rotation, flexion and extension ROM by two independent examiners. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient was used to calculate the intra- and inter-rater reliability. The results showed that both Smartphone applications, Clinometer and Measures, presented excellent intra-rater reliability for all the hip ROM measurements. The inter-rater values showed that both applications presented excellent inter-rater reliability except the Measures application for hip extension ROM. In conclusion, Clinometer and Measures are reliable tools for hip ROM assessment.
Funding: this study has received funding from Cátedra de Conocimiento e Innovación Caja Rural de Soria
