ABSTRACT
@#Objective To explore the intra- and inter-rater reliability of shear wave elastography (SWE) for the patellar tendon and quadriceps femoris stiffness.Methods From October to November, 2017, the stiffness of the patellar tendon and quadriceps femoris of 20 healthy men was measured by SWE, and measured again five days later. The results were evaluated with interclass correlation coefficient (ICC).Results For patellar tendon, ICC=0.79 in intra-rater and inter-rater; for rectus femoris, ICC=0.71 in intra-rater and 0.73 in inter-rater; for vastus lateralis muscle, ICC=0.84 in intra-rater and 0.74 in inter-rater; for vastus medialis,ICC=0.95 in intra-rater and 0.94 in inter-rater.Conclusion It is a reliable and repeatable method to measure the stiffness of patellar tendon and quadriceps femoris by SWE.