BACKGROUND: Clinical evaluation is the basis for making decisions regarding treatments. When radiographic images cannot be obtained, few resources allow physical therapists to quantitatively evaluate an individual's condition. One of these is the kypholordometer, a low-cost noninvasive instrument proposed for measuring spinal curvature in the sagittal plane. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the intra- and inter-examiner reliability of the kypholordometer, to investigate its agreement with radiography, and to determine whether there is any correlation between measurements of lumbar curvature using the radiographic method and the kypholordometer. METHODS: Twenty healthy individuals of both sexes aged between 21 and 27 years were evaluated. They underwent radiographic examination of the lumbar spine in right lateral view while standing up. The radiographic images were evaluated by a radiologist using Cobb's method, with T12 and S1 as the reference points. The kypholordometry was carried out in the same position by three evaluators on two occasions, with the same vertebrae as the reference points. A straight line was drawn from T12 to the least prominent vertebra and another from S1 to the same vertebra, thus identifying the degree of lumbar concavity. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that kypholordometry presented excellent levels of reliability (both intra- and inter-examiner), but low agreement with radiography. However, there was a statistically significant positive correlation between the two methods studied (r=0.88). CONCLUSION: Kypholordometry is a quantitative method with excellent intra- and inter-examiner reliability for evaluating lumbar curvature. It may contribute greatly towards the clinical practice of physical therapists.
evaluation; spine; radiography; posture
