Abstract
Objectives: Ryodoraku diagnosis has been used frequently since Nakatani invented it in 1950. There are many papers about how to use Ryodoraku diagnosis in many diseases, but there are no studies about the repeatability and reproducibility of the Ryodoraku score. The aim of this study was to investigate the repeatability and reproducibility of the Ryodoraku score. Materials and Methods: There were four examiners who trained for more than a month, and the number of subjects was twenty. Each of the examiners made Ryodoraku diagnosis for ten subjects three times. We analyzed data by SPSS, used Friedman test, Wilcoxon signer rank test and Spearman correlation test. Results: 1. There was no significant difference between first, second, and third Ryodoraku score by Friedman test in examiners A, B, C, and D, so there was repeatability. 2. There was very high correlation on first, second, third Ryodoraku score by Spearman correlation test in examiners A, B, C, and 0, so there was repeatability. 3. There was high ICC among Ryodoraku score by examiners B, C, and D, so there was reproducibility. 4. After observing four examiners' Ryodoraku diagnoses, we could see the discord of measure points, the amount of hydration before examination, the amount of pressure, examination time, or positions of subjects diagnosed with Ryodoraku incorrectly. Conclusion: There is repeatability and reproducibility of Ryodoraku diagnosis. However, it is still important that one examiner carry out the diagnosis if possible. When there are two or more examiners, they should train extensively and follow manuals.
