ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the validity and reliability of the motor point detection system in cadavers and healthy young adults. DESIGN: Correlation statistics. SETTING: University research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-two lower limbs of 31 healthy young adults (mean age, 22.3+/-1.8) and 10 size-matched lower limbs from cadavers were used. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The validity of the motor point detection system's motor point measure was determined by comparing the motor point locations of the lower-leg muscles obtained from the motor point detection system with the established anatomic motor point locations from our previous cadaveric dissection study. The anatomic motor points were determined by tracing the terminal motor nerve branches on soleus, medial, and lateral gastrocnemius muscles through the dissection of adult cadavers. The test-retest reliability was determined by repeatedly measuring the locations of motor points in healthy young adults on 2 separate occasions, approximately 24 hours apart. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was computed to determine correlation, and an independent t test was used to determine the difference between the demographic and clinical variables at the significance level (P<.05). RESULTS: Correlation analysis revealed relatively high validity between the motor point detection system and cadaver-dissected motor point location measurements (ICC(2,1)=.71-.92, P<.05). The test-retest reliability showed excellent correlation between the repeated measures (range, ICC(1,2)=.90-.95 at P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that the motor point detection system was accurate and consistent in the measurement of motor point locations of the lower-leg muscles. This system can be considered as an alternative device to localize motor points in clinical settings. Our motor point detection system warrants further investigation in pathologic population.
