scholarly journals Ultrasound imaging in women's arm flexor muscles: intra-rater reliability of muscle thickness and echo intensity

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 535-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amilton Vieira ◽  
Angelina F. Siqueira ◽  
João B. Ferreira-Junior ◽  
Paulo Pereira ◽  
Dale Wagner ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
Blanca De-la-Cruz-Torres ◽  
Emmanuel Navarro-Flores ◽  
Daniel López-López ◽  
Carlos Romero-Morales

Background: the aim of this study was to compare the echotexture of patients with soleus muscle injury and age matched controls. Methods: a sample of 62 athletes was recruited at the private clinic and was divided in two group: a healthy group (n = 31) and a soleus pathology group whose athletes had soleus muscle injury, located in the central tendon (n = 31). The muscle thickness (MTh), echointensity (EI) and echovariation (EV) were analyzed. An intra-rater reliability test (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient-ICC) was performed in order to analyze the reliability of the values of the measurements. Results: Sociodemographic variables did not show statistically significant differences (p > 0.05). Ultrasound imaging measurements who reported statistically significant differences were EI (p = 0.001) and standard deviation (SD) (p = 0.001). MTh and EV variables did not show statistically significant differences (p = 0.381 and p = 0.364, respectively). Moreover, reliability values for the MTh (ICC = 0.911), EI (ICC = 0.982), SD (ICC = 0.955) and EV (ICC = 0.963). Based on these results the intra-rater reliability was considered excellent. Conclusion: Athletes with a central tendon injury of soleus muscle showed a lower EI when they were compared to healthy athletes. The echogenicity showed by the quantitative ultrasound imaging measurement may be a more objective parameter for the diagnosis and follow-up the soleus muscle injuries.


Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 512
Author(s):  
Maryse Fortin ◽  
Brent Rosenstein ◽  
Jerome Levesque ◽  
Neil Nandlall

Background and Objectives: Ultrasound echo intensity (EI) of the lumbar multifidus muscle (LMM) could offer valuable insights regarding muscle quality in people with low back pain (LBP). However, whether the rater’s experience noticeably influences the reliability and precision of LMM EI measurements has not been established. The aims of this study were to investigate the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of LMM EI measurements, and to compare the reliability and SEM between a novice and an experienced rater. Materials and Methods: Twenty athletes (10 females, 10 males) with a history of LBP were included in this study. Transverse ultrasound images of LMM were taken at L5 in prone. LMM EI measurements were obtained bilaterally by tracing the maximum ROI representing the LMM cross-sectional area (CSA), avoiding the inclusion of bone or surrounding fascia. All measurements were performed by two novice raters and an experienced researcher. Each measurement was acquired by each rater three times for each side on three different images, and the average was used in the analyses. Raters were blinded to each other’s measurements and the participant’s clinical information. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) were obtained to assess the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability. Results: The intra-rater ICC values for the LMM measurements for the experienced rater were excellent (ICC all > 0.997). The inter-rater reliability ICC values showed moderate to excellent reliability (0.614 to 0.994) and agreement between the novice raters and the experienced rater, except for Novice 1 for the right LMM, which revealed lower ICCs and a wider 95% CI. Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability results were similar when separately looking at the right and left side of the muscle and participant gender. Conclusions: Our findings support the clinical use of ultrasound imaging for the assessment of LMM EI in individuals with LBP.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Ryo Miyachi ◽  
Nana Koike ◽  
Suzu Kodama ◽  
Junya Miyazaki

BACKGROUND: Although trunk muscles are involved in many important functions, evaluating trunk muscle strength is not an easy task. If trunk muscle mass and thickness could be used as indicators of trunk muscle strength, the burden of measurement would be reduced, but the relationship between trunk muscle strength and trunk muscle mass and thickness has not been clarified. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between trunk muscle strength and trunk muscle mass by bioelectrical impedance analysis and trunk muscle thickness by ultrasound imaging in healthy adults. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-one healthy university students were included in this study. Trunk flexion/extension muscle strength and trunk muscle mass by bioelectrical impedance analysis, and trunk muscle thickness by ultrasound imaging were measured. RESULTS: Both trunk flexion strength and trunk extension strength were significantly correlated with trunk muscle mass and oblique and rectus abdominis muscle thickness. Multiple regression analysis showed that trunk extension muscle strength had an independent relationship with trunk muscle mass. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that trunk muscle mass or trunk muscle thickness can be used as an alternative means for evaluating trunk muscle strength, making the evaluation of trunk muscles less burdensome.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroki Monjo ◽  
Yoshihiro Fukumoto ◽  
Tsuyoshi Asai ◽  
Hisato Shuntoh

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (23) ◽  
pp. 5699
Author(s):  
Samuel Fernández-Carnero ◽  
Carlos Martin-Saborido ◽  
Alexander Achalandabaso Ochoa-Ruiz de Mendoza ◽  
Alejandro Ferragut-Garcias ◽  
Juan Nicolás Cuenca-Zaldivar ◽  
...  

Rehabilitative ultrasound imaging (RUSI) technique seems to be a valid and reliable tool for diagnosis and treatment in physiotherapy and has been widely studied in the lumbopelvic region the last three decades. The aims for this utility in clinical settings must be review through a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression. A systematic review was designed following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines with PROSPERO registration and per review in all phases of the process using COVIDENCE, analysis of risk of bias and meta-analysis using REVMAN, and meta-regression calculation using STATA. Database screening provided 6544 references, out of which 321 reported narrative synthesis, and 21 reported quantitative synthesis, while only 7 of them provided comparable data to meta-analyze the variables pain and muscle thickness. In most cases, the forest plots showed considerable I2 heterogeneity indexes for multifidus muscle thickness (I2 = 95%), low back pain (I2 = 92%) and abdominal pain (I2 = 95%), not important for transversus abdominis muscle thickness (I2 = 22%), significant heterogenity (I2 = 69%) depending on the subgroup and not important internal oblique muscle thickness (I2 = 0%) and external oblique muscle thickness (I2 = 0%). Meta-regression did not provide significant data for the correlations between the variables analyzed and the intervention, age, and BMI (Body Mass Index). This review reveals that RUSI could contribute to a high reliability of the measurements in the lumbopelvic region with validity and reliability for the assessments, as well as showing promising results for diagnosis and intervention assessment in physiotherapy compared to the traditional model, allowing for future lines of research in this area.


Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1471
Author(s):  
Alvaro Mateos-Angulo ◽  
Alejandro Galán-Mercant ◽  
Antonio Ignacio Cuesta-Vargas

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the associations between muscle thickness and echo intensity with cognitive and physical dimensions like functional capacity measured in older people. This cross-sectional study involved 20 older adults (15 women and 5 men, mean age ± SD: 85 ± 7 years, body mass index: 25 ± 3 kg/m2) from a geriatric centre in Malaga (Spain). Anthropometric measurements, cognitive assessment with Pfeiffer Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire and Motor Memory test, Physical Performance with Short Physical Performance Battery, and muscle strength were tested. Additionally, using B-mode ultrasonography, images of wrist flexors, biceps brachii, rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, medial gastrocnemius, and tibialis anterior were captured, and muscle thickness and echo intensity variables were extracted. An association between muscle parameters assessed by ultrasonography and cognitive and physical dimensions were found in older people. Echo intensity was the best predictor in a set of regression models with different muscle parameters and a battery of cognitive and physical tests in older people. Echo intensity adjusted by handgrip strength could be a low cost and ambulatory index and an indirect and reversible indicator of functional capacity.


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 109-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hwang-Jae Lee ◽  
Hyun-Geun Ha ◽  
Joohee Hahn ◽  
Seungyeop Lim ◽  
Wan-hee Lee

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-4

Background: The use of ultrasound to perform quantitative musculoskeletal (MSK) measurements requires reliability among different providers with varied levels of experience and training. Recent studies have shown that physical therapists (PT) can reliably measure the glenohumeral joint space using ultrasound imaging (USI) and operator experience or well defined training protocols influences the reliability. Few studies have reported the reliability of medial knee gap measurements with USI. Objective: Evaluate inter- and intra-rater reliability of a novel approach to measuring knee gapping using experienced and trained novice clinicians. Design: Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability study Setting: Physical therapy program Participants: Novice researchers were three upper-year Doctor of Physical Therapy students. Experienced researchers were two PT certified in MSK USI with eight years of experience. Methods: A total of 166 images of two subject’s medial knee joint gaps were captured in resting by a single experience researcher. Three novice researchers, who underwent a three-hour training protocol and two experienced researchers measured the images individually. Measurements were taken using standardized bony landmarks and internal calipers. All researchers were blinded to the subjects and results. Main outcome measures: Data was analyzed using two-way ICC mixed-model single measurement, SEM run for all researchers compared with experienced researcher one. Results: An excellent degree of reliability was found for both intra-rater and inter-rater measurements for Novice One and a good degree of reliability was found between Experienced One and Novice Two and Three. Conclusion: Both experienced and novice researchers attained a clinically significant ICC when compared to Experienced One. An accurate and reliable measurement of the medial knee joint gap maybe useful for further studies and help with diagnosis of joint pathologies. Level of study: IIB


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document