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Journal of Child Neurology
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*Cerebral Palsy
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Intrarater and Interrater Reliability of Myotonometer Measurements of Muscle Tone in Children

Åsa Lidström, RPT, MSc

Department of Women's and Children's Health, Section for Paediatrics, Uppsala University, The Folke Bernadotte Regional Habilitation Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden, asa.lidstrom{at}akademiska.se

Gunnar Ahlsten, MD, PhD

Department of Women's and Children's Health, Section for Paediatrics, Uppsala University, The Folke Bernadotte Regional Habilitation Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden

Helga Hirchfeld, RPT, PhD

Motor Control Laboratory, Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care, Sciences and Society, Huddinge, Sweden

Simone Norrlin, RPT, PhD

Department of Women's and Children's Health, Section for Paediatrics, Uppsala University, The Folke Bernadotte Regional Habilitation Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden

The aim of this study was to investigate reliability of Myotonometer measurements, by assessing muscle tone in muscle rectus femoris in children with cerebral palsy and children without disabilities. Differences in muscle tone between groups and conditions, contracted or relaxed, were also investigated. A total of 15 children with cerebral palsy and 15 children without disabilities participated. Intrarater reliability of Myotonometer measurements showed high to very high intraclass correlation, under both conditions and in both groups. Interrater reliability showed high to very high intraclass correlation under both conditions in the control group and in the cerebral palsy group under contracted condition and moderate under relaxed condition. There were slight differences in tissue displacement between groups, although not statistically significant. Myotonometer measurements are reliable when assessing muscle tone in children. However, there is still a need to investigate this method for objectively quantifying increased muscle tone in children with cerebral palsy.

Key Words: cerebral palsy • children • muscle tone • Myotonometer • reliability

Journal of Child Neurology, Vol. 24, No. 3, 267-274 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0883073808323025
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