scholarly journals Reliability of Trapezius Muscle Hardness Measurement: A Comparison between Portable Muscle Hardness Meter and Ultrasound Strain Elastography

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (24) ◽  
pp. 7200
Author(s):  
Tomonori Sawada ◽  
Hiroki Okawara ◽  
Daisuke Nakashima ◽  
Shuhei Iwabuchi ◽  
Morio Matsumoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trapezius Muscle ◽  
Hardness Measurement ◽  
Strain Ratio ◽  
Muscle Stiffness ◽  
Computer Work ◽  
Shoulder Stiffness ◽  
Strain Elastography ◽  
Upper Trapezius ◽  
Muscle Hardness ◽  
Hardness Values

Prolonged computer work and smartphone use can cause stiffness of the neck and shoulder muscles, including the trapezius muscle. Hence, muscle hardness quantification is clinically beneficial. The present study aimed to examine the reliability of trapezius muscle hardness measurement using a portable muscle hardness meter and ultrasound strain elastography. Overall, 20 healthy young men participated in this study. Prior to measurement, the participant’s subjective symptoms, particularly shoulder muscle stiffness, were rated using an 11-point verbal scale. Furthermore, hardness of the right and left upper trapezius muscles was assessed. In the strain elastography assessment, muscle hardness was evaluated using strain ratio. Results showed that, in quantifying upper trapezius muscle hardness, both portable muscle hardness meter and strain elastography had an excellent intra-tester reliability (>0.9). However, the correlation coefficients between muscle hardness values assessed using a muscle hardness meter and those evaluated with strain elastography did not significantly differ, and the scores for subjective shoulder stiffness did not correspond to muscle hardness values. Therefore, the hardness of the trapezius muscle does not directly reflect the subjective shoulder stiffness. Future studies should thoroughly examine the location of the shoulder stiffness, and check whether it is accompanied by local pain or tenderness.

scholarly journals Biceps brachii muscle hardness assessed by a push-in meter in comparison to ultrasound strain elastography

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitsuyoshi Murayama ◽  
Kazunori Nosaka ◽  
Takayuki Inami ◽  
Norihiro Shima ◽  
Tsugutake Yoneda
Keyword(s):  
Biceps Brachii ◽  
Elbow Flexion ◽  
Strain Ratio ◽  
Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Strain Elastography ◽  
Muscle Hardness ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Force Displacement ◽  
Resting Muscle ◽  
Hardness Values

AbstractThis study investigated the relationship between push-in meter (PM) and ultrasound strain elastography (USE) for biceps brachii (BB) muscle hardness. BB hardness of 21 young men was assessed by PM and USE during rest and isometric contractions of six different intensities (15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90% of maximal voluntary contraction: MVC) at 30°, 60° and 90° elbow flexion. Muscle hardness (E) was calculated from the force–displacement relationship in PM, and strain ratio (SR) between an acoustic coupler (elastic modulus: 22.6 kPa) and different regions of interest (ROIs) in BB was calculated and converted to Young’s modulus (YM) in USE. In resting muscle, E was 26.1 ± 6.4 kPa, and SR and YM for the whole BB was 0.88 ± 0.4 and 30.8 ± 12.8 kPa, respectively. A significant (p < 0.01) correlation was evident between E and logarithmical transformed SR (LTSR) for the ROI of whole BB (r = − 0.626), and E and converted YM (r = 0.615). E increased approximately ninefold from resting to 90% MVC, and E and LTSR (r = − 0.732 to − 0.880), and E and converted YM for the SR above 0.1 were correlated (r = 0.599–0.768, p < 0.01). These results suggest that muscle hardness values obtained by PM and USE are comparable.

scholarly journals Modulation in Elastic Properties of Upper Trapezius with Varying Neck Angle

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Zhang ◽  
Jiafeng Yu ◽  
Chunlong Liu ◽  
Chunzhi Tang ◽  
Zhijie Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Elastic Modulus ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Trapezius Muscle ◽  
Shear Wave Elastography ◽  
Muscle Stiffness ◽  
Minimal Detectable Change ◽  
Shear Elastic Modulus ◽  
Upper Trapezius ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Upper Trapezius Muscle

Background. Neck and shoulder complaints caused by poor posture may influence upper trapezius stiffness. The relationship between the shear elastic modulus of the upper trapezius and cervical flexion angles is unknown. Therefore, it is essential to assess upper trapezius stiffness during cervical flexion. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the intra- and interoperator reliabilities of evaluating upper trapezius stiffness and calculate the minimal detectable change (MDC); (2) examine the elastic modulus alterations of the upper trapezius during cervical flexion; and (3) explore the difference of upper trapezius stiffness between the dominant and nondominant sides. Methods. Twenty healthy male participants were recruited in this study. The shear modulus of the upper trapezius was evaluated by two independent investigators using shear wave elastography (SWE) during cervical flexion at 0° and 50°. Findings. The intraoperator (intraclass correlation coefficient ICC=0.85–0.86) and interoperator (ICC=0.94–0.98) reliabilities for measuring the shear elastic modulus of the upper trapezius during the cervical flexion ranged from good to excellent. An increase of 35.58% in upper trapezius stiffness was found at 0° to 50° of cervical flexion, and the MDC was 7.04 kPa. In addition, a significant difference was obtained in the elastic modulus of the upper trapezius muscle between the dominant and nondominant sides (P<0.05). Conclusions. Our findings revealed that SWE could quantify the elastic modulus of the upper trapezius and monitor its changes. Therefore, further studies are required to delineate the modulation in upper trapezius muscle stiffness among subjects with neck and shoulder pain.

Effects of electromyographic and mechanomyographic biofeedback on upper trapezius muscle activity during standardized computer work

Ergonomics ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 49 (10) ◽  
pp. 921-933 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascal Madeleine ◽  
Pernille Vedsted ◽  
Anne Katrine Blangsted ◽  
Gisela Sj⊘gaard ◽  
Karen S⊘gaard
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Trapezius Muscle ◽  
Computer Work ◽  
Upper Trapezius ◽  
Upper Trapezius Muscle
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