Reliability of Measurements Obtained With the Modified Ashworth Scale in the Lower Extremities of People With Stroke

Abnormal muscle tone is a common motor disorder following stroke, which may require rehabilitation. The Modified Ashworth Scale is a 6-point rating scale that is used to measure muscle tone. The interrater and intrarater reliability of measurements obtained with the scale remain equivocal. The purpo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical therapy 2002-01, Vol.82 (1), p.25-34
Main Authors: Blackburn, Marjan, van Vliet, Paulette, Mockett, Simon P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Disability evaluation
Extremities, Lower
Female
Hemiplegia - physiopathology
Humans
Leg
Leg - physiology
Male
Measurement
Medical screening
Methods
Muscle strength
Muscle Tonus - physiology
Patients
Physical therapy
Physiological aspects
Ratings & rankings
Reproducibility of Results
Severity of Illness Index
Stroke
Stroke - physiopathology
Stroke patients
Testing
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Description
Summary:Abnormal muscle tone is a common motor disorder following stroke, which may require rehabilitation. The Modified Ashworth Scale is a 6-point rating scale that is used to measure muscle tone. The interrater and intrarater reliability of measurements obtained with the scale remain equivocal. The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability of measurements obtained with the scale in the lower limb of patients with stroke. Twenty patients were tested 2 weeks after their stroke, and 12 patients were tested 12 weeks after their stroke. Gastrocnemius, soleus, and quadriceps femoris muscles on the hemiplegic side were tested. Interrater reliability for 2 raters was poor, with a Kendall tau-b correlation for the combined muscle group of.062 (P=.461). For intrarater reliability, the Kendall tau-b correlation was.567 (P
ISSN:0031-9023
1538-6724
DOI:10.1093/ptj/82.1.25