J Korean Orthop Assoc.  2007 Oct;42(5):593-598. 10.4055/jkoa.2007.42.5.593.

The Validity and Reliability of the EMC Device; For the Checking ofthe Mobility of the First Ray of the Foot

• Kim JY
• Lee KT
• Young KW
• Park YS
• Jeong JS
• Hwang SK

• KMID: 2186465
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4055/jkoa.2007.42.5.593

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate the validity and intra-rater, inter-rater reliability of the EMC device used to check the mobility of the first ray of the foot.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Sixty-nine cases (43 patients) of mild to severe hallux valgus feet were enrolled in this study. For an analysis of the validity of the EMC device, the dorsal mobility of the first ray of the foot was measured using the modified Coleman block test and EMC device. The intra- and inter-rater reliability of EMC device was evaluated by measuring the dorsal mobility of the first ray of the foot twice with three independent raters blinded to other's results. The results were analyzed for the intra-rater reliability and for inter-rater reliability.
RESULTS
The mean value of the dorsal mobility of the first ray of the foot by the EMC device and modified Coleman block test was 8.3 mm (range; 4.3-12.3 mm) and 7.4 mm (range; 3.4-10.3 mm), respectively. There was a significant difference between the EMC device and modified Coleman block test (p<0.05). However, both the measured data, showed a good correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient=0.84). The paired t-test for intra-rater reliability and ANOVA testing for inter-rater reliability showed no statistically significant difference.
CONCLUSION
The EMC device is reliable and valid for measuring the mobility of the first ray of the foot.

Keyword

Mobility of the first ray; EMC device; Validity and reliability

MeSH Terms

Foot*
Hallux Valgus
Reproducibility of Results*

Figure

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  Fig. 1 The dorsal mobility of the first ray of the foot was measured using the modified Coleman block test.

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  Fig. 2 The scatter plot shows measured data with the EMC device and the calculated data with the lateral radiographs using the modified Coleman block test.

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