OBJECTIVE:This study was designed to estimate the accuracy of the postural assessment software (PAS/SAPO) for measurement of corporal angles and distances as well as the inter- and intra-rater reliabilities.INTRODUCTION:Postural assessment software was developed as a subsidiary tool for postural assessment. It is easy to use and available in the public domain. Nonetheless, validation studies are lacking.METHODS:The study sample consisted of 88 pictures from 22 subjects, and each subject was assessed twice (1 week interval) by 5 blinded raters. Inter- and intra-rater reliabilities were estimated using the intraclass correlation coefficient. To estimate the accuracy of the software, an inanimate object was marked with hallmarks using pre-established parameters. Pictures of the object were rated, and values were checked against the known parameters.RESULTS:Inter-rater reliability was excellent for 41% of the variables and very good for 35%. Ten percent of the variables had acceptable reliability, and 14% were defined as non-acceptable. For intra-rater reliability, 44.8% of the measurements were considered to be excellent, 23.5% were very good, 12.4% were acceptable and 19.3% were considered non-acceptable. Angular measurements had a mean error analisys of 0.11°, and the mean error analisys for distance was 1.8 mm.DISCUSSION:Unacceptable intraclass correlation coefficient values typically used the vertical line as a reference, and this may have increased the inaccuracy of the estimates. Increased accuracies were obtained by younger raters with more sophisticated computer skills, suggesting that past experience influenced results.CONCLUSION:The postural assessment software was accurate for measuring corporal angles and distances and should be considered as a reliable tool for postural assessment.

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São Paulo 2005Compreender a postura e o controle postural é aceitar que existe diversidade e instabilidade e que talvez seja esta a beleza da vida AGRADECIMENTOS À Prof. Dra. Amélia pelo apoio incondicional que tem me dado desde que me tornei fisioterapeuta e por tudo que já me ensinou e me ensina em cada situação nova.Ao Prof. Dr. Marcos por me receber em seu laboratório com tanta disponibilidade, pela idéia de criar o SAPO e por toda a ajuda e apoio. Sem dúvida você é o co-orientador deste trabalho.Aos meus pais que sempre me apóiam em todos os meus projetos e que me ensinaram a respeitar a diversidade de posturas no mundo e a optar por uma postura otimista perante a vida.Ao meu marido João Paulo, exemplo de postura ética que sempre está ao meu lado e que com seu amor, apoio, companheirismo e brilhantismo intelectual me faz feliz.Ao meu filho Paulo Henrique que ainda na barriga assistiu a disciplinas, preparou e apresentou seminários e que depois de seu nascimento preencheu minha vida com alegria e soube com seu sorriso maravilhoso ensinar-me o que é uma boa postura.

The most typical symptom of fibromyalgia (FM) is diffuse pain, and pain at specific points-tender points-is crucial for its diagnosis. By comparing healthy individuals and FM patients, this study was aimed at assessing pain and quality of life of Brazilian females with FM, while seeking for a correlation between pain threshold and quality of life. A total of 178 women were evaluated: 124 were FM patients and 54 were healthy women. Pain threshold at tender points was quantified by dolorimetry, and diffuse pain by means of the visual analogue scale (VAS); the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) was used to evaluate quality of life. Statistical treatment of the data allowed for proposing two indexes: a pain threshold index (PT) and a quality of life one (QOL). PT is the lowest value among all pain thresholds measured at the 18 tender points; QOL is the mean of responses to the FIQ and VAS. Both indexes were tested and showed significant differences between the test and control groups. By pairing pain threshold values of each tender point in the test and control groups, it was found that the most sensitive points matched between the two groups, that is, the most sensitive anatomic spots in a healthy individual are also likely to be the most sensitive points in a person with FM. This suggests that a stimulus that provokes slight discomfort to a healthy person may produce more pain in FM patients--which may bear implications for FM clinical treatment. In this sample of Brazilian women, FM patients had both lower pain threshold and worse quality of life than healthy women.

Women who underwent mastectomy alone, compared with women who underwent immediate breast reconstruction with abdominal flaps, showed differences in the vertical alignment of the trunk, with greater asymmetry between the acromion and greater trochanter, which can mean trunk rotation. No significant differences were found between the two groups in the alignment of the head, shoulders, scapula, or pelvis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.