The reliability of the vail sport test™ as a measure of physical performance following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: The decision to return an athlete to sports following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction can be controversial. The purposes of this study are 1) to describe a functional test (Vail Sport Test™) that includes the evaluation of muscle strength, endurance, power, and movement quality in those patients attempting to return to sports following ACL reconstruction and 2) to assess the reliability of the Vail Sport Test™.

METHODS: A prospective cohort study design. A total of 30 (12 F, 18 M) subjects (18.1±5.3 yrs) volunteered for the study. All subjects were post-operative ACL reconstruction (5.2±1.9 months) and were in the process of returning to sports. Each subject completed the Vail Sport Test™ and was videotaped from the anterior and lateral view. The videotape was then viewed and graded at two different points in time (48 hours apart) by three licensed physical therapists. Intraclass correlations (ICCs) were calculated to determine intra- and inter-rater reliability.

RESULTS: Intra-rater reliability was excellent with a range of .95 to 1.0. Reliability values between graders were .97 (ICC(2),k) and 1.55 (SEM).

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the Vail Sport Test™ has excellent reliability when the same graders scored the test using video on repeated occasions. In addition, the test was reliable between different graders.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 2b.