The association of manually tested thoracic spine mobility with tape measure and inclinometer mobility in subjects with thoracic spine pain.

To examine the association of the manually tested TS mobility with tape measure and inclinometer mobility.

74 volunteers (53 females) were examined by two physical therapists. TS movement was examined manually, with tape measure, and inclinometer in sitting position. Moreover, TS segmental mobility was examined manually in a prone with posterior-to-anterior (PA) pressure test. The hypomobile segments in manual examination were summed up and categorized as: 1) normal mobility 2) moderate hypomobility and 3) severe hypomobility. TS was subcategorized and analyzed as whole TS (T1–T12), upper TS (T1–T6) and lower TS (T6–T12).  Multinomial regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of TS mobility between manual, tape measure, and inclinometer examination. Normal mobility was used as a reference category. The model was adjusted with age, height, weight, sex and pain intensity.

Moderate hypomobility in PA pressure test of T1–T12 was associated with greater flexion mobility of the inclinometer (odd ratio [OR] 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–1.20). Moderate hypomobility in manual examination of T1–T12 and T1–T6, and severe hypomobility of T1-T6 into extension was associated with inclinometer hypomobility into extension (OR 0.90; CI 0.90–0.97, OR 0.84; CI 0.76–0.94 and OR 0.85; CI 0.76–0.95, respectively). Moderate hypomobility in manual examination of T6–T12 in flexion was associated with inclinometer hypomobility into flexion (OR 0.85; CI 0.74–0.97).

Manually tested moderate hypomobility in whole and upper TS, and severe hypomobility in upper TS into extension was associated with inclinometer measured TS hypomobility into extension. Moderate hypomobility in PA pressure test of whole TS was associated with greater flexion mobility in inclinometer measurement. Moderate hypomobility in manual examination of lower TS into flexion was associated with TS hypomobility into flexion with inclinometer. 

Different mobility testing methods of the TS into extension in the upper TS and into flexion in lower TS shows similar results. The association of PA pressure test with other mobility measurements was not found, which may indicate that these measures measure the different phenomena of the TS mobility and cannot be compared as a general mobility measurement.