Centre of Precision Rehabilitation for Spinal Pain (CPR Spine), School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Division of Physiotherapy, Institute of Health and Social Care, London South Bank University, London, UK.
BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2022 Feb 10;23(1):138. doi: 10.1186/s12891-022-05066-6.
Smartphone applications offer an accessible and practical option to measure neck range of motion (ROM) and are becoming more commonly used in clinical practice. We assessed the validity, reliability, and responsiveness of smartphone applications (apps) to measure neck ROM in people with and without neck pain.
A comprehensive electronic search strategy of the main electronic databases was conducted from inception until June 2021. The identified studies investigated apps which measured neck ROM, and evaluated their validity, reliability, or responsiveness, in adult participants with neck pain or asymptomatic individuals. Two independent reviewers determined eligibility and risk of bias following COSMIN guidelines. The quality of evidence was assessed according to the GRADE approach.
Eleven studies, with a total of 376 participants were included. Three types of apps were identified: clinometer apps, compass apps, and other apps of 'adequate' to 'doubtful' risk of bias. A meta-analysis revealed 'good' to 'excellent' intra-rater and inter-rater reliability across the three types of apps. The overall validity was rated from 'moderate' to 'very high' across all apps. The level of evidence was rated as 'low' to 'very low'.
Smartphone applications showed sufficient intra-rater reliability, inter-rater reliability, and validity to measure neck ROM in people with and without neck pain. However, the quality of evidence and the confidence in the findings are low. High-quality research with large sample sizes is needed to further provide evidence to support the measurement properties of smartphone applications for the assessment of neck ROM.
Following indications of Prisma-P guidelines, this protocol was registered in PROSPERO on 1/05/2021 with the number CRD42021239501.
智能手机应用程序为测量颈部活动范围（ROM）提供了一种便捷实用的选择，并且在临床实践中越来越常用。我们评估了智能手机应用程序（apps）测量有或无颈部疼痛的人群的颈部 ROM 的有效性、可靠性和反应性。
从创建到 2021 年 6 月，我们进行了全面的电子搜索策略，以搜索主要电子数据库。确定的研究调查了测量颈部 ROM 的应用程序，并根据 COSMIN 指南评估了其在有颈部疼痛或无症状个体的成年参与者中的有效性、可靠性或反应性。两名独立的审查员根据 COSMIN 指南确定合格性和偏倚风险。根据 GRADE 方法评估证据质量。
共纳入 11 项研究，共计 376 名参与者。确定了三种类型的应用程序：测斜仪应用程序、指南针应用程序和其他“有一定”到“可疑”偏倚风险的应用程序。一项荟萃分析显示，三种类型的应用程序的内部和外部评估者之间的可靠性为“良好”到“优秀”。所有应用程序的整体有效性从“中等”到“非常高”不等。证据水平评定为“低”到“非常低”。
智能手机应用程序在有或无颈部疼痛的人群中测量颈部 ROM 时，表现出足够的内部评估者可靠性、外部评估者可靠性和有效性。然而，证据质量和对发现的信心较低。需要高质量的研究，样本量大，以进一步提供证据支持智能手机应用程序评估颈部 ROM 的测量特性。
根据 Prisma-P 指南的指示，本方案于 2021 年 5 月 1 日在 PROSPERO 上进行了注册，编号为 CRD42021239501。
