Investigation of The Accuracy of Palpation of Physical Therapy Students to Different Anatomical Landmarks

Abstract

Purpose: Surface anatomy plays a crucial role in physical therapy education as it enables the examination of subcutaneous structures through palpation. This study aims to investigate the accuracy of palpation on landmarks among physical therapy students (PT). Material and Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study evaluated the accuracy of palpation on anatomical landmarks. The researchers specified 21 landmarks for palpation assessment. Each landmark was scored on a scale of 0 to 3, and the Landmark Total Palpation Score (Lt) was calculated based on the scores of all 21 landmarks. A higher score indicated poorer accuracy in identifying anatomical landmarks. A total of 88 individuals included in this study. Intrarater reliability was examined with weighted kappa statistics. Results: The participants' Lt scores had a mean of 10.09 ± 9.66, with a standard deviation. The weighted kappa of each landmark ranged from 0.89 to 1.0. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that there was a good level anatomical landmark identification among PT students

Keywords

• Physical Therapy Education
• Surface Anatomy
• Landmark
• Palpation
• Physiotherapy

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