Validity and Reliability of Kinovea® for Pelvic Kinematic Measurement in Standing Position and in Sitting Position with 45º of Hip Flexion

Abstract

The anatomy of the pelvis may obscure differences in pelvic tilt, potentially underestimating its correlation with clinical measures. Measuring the total sagittal range of pelvic movement can serve as a reliable indicator of pelvic function. This study assessed the inter- and intra-examiner reliability of the Kinovea® version 0.9.5 and its agreement with the Qualisys System (3D motion capture) for measuring the total pelvic range of movement (ROM) in the sagittal plane, establishing Kinovea®’s validity in standing and sitting positions with 45◦ of hip flexion. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 13 asymptomatic participants. Pelvic kinematics were recorded using both systems. Pelvic posture, anterior and posterior tilt, and total pelvic ROM in the sagittal plane were analyzed. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was used to evaluate reliability and validity. Additionally, the technical error of measurement (TEM), relative TEM, standard error of measurement, and minimal detectable change (MDC) were calculated to establish Kinovea®’s accuracy. Kinovea® demonstrated excellent inter- and intra-examiner reliability for total pelvic ROM in standing and sitting measurements (ICC > 0.90), with relative TEM values below 10% and MDC values between 1.60◦and 11.20◦. Validity showed good-to-excellent ICC values when comparing Kinovea® and the Qualisys System. This finding suggests that Kinovea® is a valid tool for obtaining reproducible measurements of total pelvic ROM in the sagittal plane in standing and sitting positions, demonstrating excellent-to-good inter- and intra-examiner reliability for pelvic kinematics.