Inter- and Intra-Examiner Reliability Study of Two-Point Discrimination Test (TPD) and Two-Point Estimation Task (TPE) in the Sacral Area of Pain-Free Individuals

Abstract

Tactile acuity is typically measured by a two-point discrimination test (TPD) and a two-point estimation task (TPE). In the back area, they are only conducted in the lumbar and cervical regions of the spine. Considering that such measurements have not been conducted in the sacral regions, the purpose of this study was to assess the inter- and intra-examiner reliability of the TPD and TPE at the level of the S3 segment. The study included 30 pain-free subjects aged 20–30 years. Tests were performed with a pair of stainless hardened digital calipers. The TPD was measured in two locations: 5 and 15 cm from the midline; for TPE both, points were located inside the measured area. Session 1 involved assessments by two examiners in 10-min intervals. Session 2 was measured by one examiner, at analogous intervals between tests. The TPD inter-rater reliability was excellent for mean measurements (ICC3.2: 0.76–0.8; ICC3.3: 0.8–0.92); the intra-rater reliability was excellent for mean measurements (ICC2.2: 0.79–0.85; ICC2.3: 0.82–0.86). The TPE inter-rater reliability was good to excellent for mean measurements (ICC3.2: 0.65–0.92; ICC3.3: 0.73–0.94); the intra-rater reliability for all studies (ICC2.1, ICC2.2, ICC2.3) was excellent (0.85–0.89). Two measurements are sufficient to achieve good reliability (ICC ≥ 0.75), regardless of the assessed body side.