The intertester reliability of the Scapular Assistance Test.

Abstract

Test-retest reliability study. To determine interrater reliability of the modified scapular assistance test (SAT). The modified SAT is designed to assess the contribution of scapular motion to shoulder pain. Abnormal scapular motion has been implicated in different shoulder disorders. However, there is a lack of clinical evaluation tools to assess the scapular component of shoulder dysfunction. Forty-six subjects who were referred to physical therapy for treatment of various shoulder pathologies were recruited for this study. The modified SAT was performed on each participant by 2 different examiners. Percent agreement and kappa coefficient were utilized to determine interrater reliability of the modified SAT. The kappa coefficient and percent agreement were .53 and 77%, respectively, when the test was performed in the scapular plane, and .62 and 91%, respectively, when the test was performed in the sagittal plane. The modified SAT possesses acceptable interrater reliability for clinical use.