Aim: To examine the reliability of rehabilitative ultrasound imaging performed to
measure the thickness of the transverse abdominis, internal oblique, external oblique,
and lumbar multifidus muscles in females with recurrent low back pain. Material and
methods: A sample of 15 women was recruited. Two independent examiners recorded the
thickness of their deep abdominal and spinal muscles by rehabilitative ultrasound
imaging. Imaging scans of the transverse abdominis, internal oblique, and external
oblique muscles were performed in the supine position and in the midaxillary line,
between the lower edge of the ribcage and the iliac crest. Imaging of the lumbar
multifidus was done in the prone position and at the level of the L5/S1 zygapophyseal
joints. Imaging scans were performed bilaterally in rest and contraction, three times by
the first examiner (at baseline, after two hours, and one week later) and once by the
second examiner. Results: Good to excellent within-session intra-rater (ICC = 0.76,
0.97), good to excellent between-session intra-rater reliability (ICC = 0.73, 0.93), and
good to excellent inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.73, 0.98) were obtained. Conclusions:
The results showed that rehabilitative ultrasound imaging can be used as an excellent
reliable instrument by one or two examiners to measure the thickness of the transverse
abdominis, internal oblique, external oblique and lumbar multifidus muscles in females
with recurrent low back pain.
The effectiveness of a 4-week yoga intervention on the activation and timing of transverse abdominis and lumbar multifidus, pain and functional disability among healthy and low back pain participants