REFERENCE VALUE, RELATIVE AND ABSOLUTE RELIABILITY OF HAND BEHIND BACK TEST FOR DOMINANT AND NON-DOMINANT HAND IN HEALTHY ADULTS
Description
The Hand Behind Back Test (HBBT) is a simple and functional clinical assessment used to evaluate shoulder internal rotation and combined shoulder movements. In the present study, the normative reference values showed that the dominant hand had a median value of 38.13 cm, while the non-dominant hand demonstrated a slightly higher median value of 39.09 cm, indicating mild functional asymmetry. The test also demonstrated excellent reliability, with intra-rater reliability (ICC = 0.988) and inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.967), along with low measurement error (SEM = 0.25 cm, MDC = 0.69 cm). These findings suggest that the HBBT is a reliable, consistent, and clinically useful tool for assessing shoulder internal rotation mobility.
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Steps to reproduce
Healthy adults were recruited based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants were assessed in a standing position. The Hand Behind Back Test (HBBT) was performed by asking subjects to reach the thumb of one hand as far up the spine as possible from behind. The distance (cm) from a fixed anatomical landmark (Midpoint of PSIS) to the tip of the thumb was measured using a measuring tape. Measurements were recorded for both dominant and non-dominant hands. Each measurement was taken by the same rater and repeated to assess intra-rater reliability; a second rater performed measurements to assess inter-rater reliability. Anthropometric variables (arm length, hand length, thumb length) were also measured using standard techniques.