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Background Measurement of hip rotation is a crucial clinical parameter for the identification of hip problems and the monitoring of symptoms. The objective of this study was to determine whether the use of two smartphone applications is valid and reliable for the measurement of hip rotation. Methods An experimental, cross-sectional study was undertaken to assess passive hip internal and external rotation in three positions by two examiners. The hip rotational angles were measured by a smartphone clinometer application in the sitting and prone positions, and by a smartphone compass application in the supine position; their results were compared with those of the standard, three-dimensional, motion analysis system. The validities and inter-rater and intra-rater reliabilities of the smartphone applications were evaluated. Results The study involved 24 participants. The validities were good to excellent for the internal rotation angles in all positions (ICC 0.81–0.94), good for the external rotation angles in the prone position (ICC 0.79), and fair for the sitting and supine positions (ICC 0.70–0.73). The measurement of the hip internal rotation in the supine position had the highest ICC value of 0.94 (0.91, 0.96). The two smartphone applications showed good-to-excellent intra-rater reliability, but good-to-excellent inter-rater reliability for only three of the six positions (two other positions had fair reliability, while one position demonstrated poor reliability). Conclusions The two smartphone applications have good-to-excellent validity and intra-rater reliability, but only fair-to-good inter-rater reliability for the measurement of the hip rotational angle. The most valid hip rotational position in this study was the supine IR angle measurement, while the lowest validity was the ER angle measurement in the sitting position. The smartphone application is one of the practical measurements in hip rotational angles. Trial registration Number 20181022003 at the Thai Clinical Trials Registry (http://www.clinicaltrials.in.th) which was retrospectively registered at 2018-10-18 15:30:29.

Background/objectiveThere has been much debate about the optimal graft choice for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Anterior knee pain is a common donor site problem when using a bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) graft. However, knowledge of the characteristics of anterior knee pain during different daily activities is still limited. This study aimed to determine the incidence of anterior knee pain and to quantify the degree of pain during a range of daily living activities.MethodsThirty-five patients who were scheduled to undergo an ACL reconstruction with an autologous BPTB graft between February 2015 and December 2016 were enrolled. A visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain was recorded during each of the following activities: ascending at 30-degree slope, ascending and descending stairs, running, jumping, squatting, kneeling, sitting cross-legged, and sitting one-legged. Demographic data, the range of motion, the area of decreased sensation, and the IKDC score were collected and compared 3 and 6 months postoperatively.ResultsThe 35 male patients had a mean age of 29.7 years. Postoperatively, the mean IKDC scores were 58.1 ± 9.8 at 3 months and 72.7 ± 10.5 at 6 months. The incidences of overall anterior knee pain were 62.9% and 34.3% at the 3- and 6-month time points. Kneeling was the only activity that produced severe pain. At 3 months postoperatively, kneeling's mean VAS pain score was 3.9 ± 2.9 (2.9, 4.9; 95% CI for mean for 17 patients [48.5%] with considerable pain), whereas at 6 months postoperatively, it was 2 ± 2.5 (1.2–2.9; 95% CI for mean for 9 patients [25.7%] with considerable pain). The area of numbness of the proximal leg decreased from 12.8 ± 18.3 cm2 (6.4, 19.2; 95% CI for mean) to 3.2 ± 9.1 cm2 (0.1, 6.5; 95% CI for mean) at 3 and 6 months postoperatively.ConclusionsKneeling was the most challenging activity in terms of creating considerable levels of anterior knee pain in patients who had undergone an ACL reconstruction using a BPTB graft. Other knee activities, however, did not create moderate or severe degrees of anterior knee pain. Both anterior knee pain and numbness at the proximal leg improved over time.Trial registration number: TCTR2018–0630002.