Ultrasound measures of tendon thickness: Intra-rater, Inter-rater and Inter-machine reliability.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound imaging is often used by physiotherapists and other healthcare professionals but the reliability of image acquisition with different ultrasound machines is unknown. The objective was to compare the intra-rater, inter-rater and intermachine reliability of thickness measurements of the plantar fascia (PF), Achilles tendon (AT), patellar tendon (PT) and elbow common extensor tendon (ECET) with musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging (MSUS). METHODS: Tendon thickness was measured in four anatomical structures (14 participants, 28 images per tendon) by two sonographers and with two different ultrasound machines. Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman plots were calculated. The standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimum detectable difference (MDD) were calculated. RESULTS: Inter-rater reliability was excellent for AT (ICC=0.98; 95% CI= 0.96-0.99) and very good for PT (ICC=0.85; 95% CI = 0.67-0.93) and ECET (ICC=0.81; 95% CI= 0.72-0.94). Reliability for PF was moderate, with an ICC of 0.63 (CI 95%= 0.20-0.83). Bland-Altman plot for inter-machine reliability showed a mean difference of 1 m for PF measurements and a mean difference of 4 m and 20 m for AT and PT. The relative SEMs were below 7% and the MDCs were below 0.7 mm. CONCLUSION: The MSUS reliability in measuring thickness of the four tendons is confirmed by the homogeneous readings intra sonographers, between operators and between different machines. Level of evidence: Tendon thickness can be measured reliably on different ultrasound devices, which is an important step forward in the use of this technique in daily clinical practice and research. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Quantitative Muscle Ultrasonography Using Textural Analysis in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

The purpose of this study was to analyze differences in gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) parameters, as assessed by muscle ultrasound (MUS), between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and healthy controls, and to compare the diagnostic accuracy of these GLCM parameters with first-order MUS parameters (echointensity [EI], echovariation [EV], and muscle thickness [MTh]) in different muscle groups. Twenty-six patients with ALS and 26 healthy subjects underwent bilateral and transverse ultrasound of the biceps/brachialis, forearm flexor, quadriceps femoris, and tibialis anterior muscle groups. MTh was measured with electronic calipers, and EI, EV, and GLCM were obtained using Image J (v.1.48) software. Sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, and area under the curve (AUC) were performed by logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic curves. GLCM parameters showed reduced granularity in the muscles of ALS patients compared with the controls. Regarding the discrimination capacity, the best single diagnostic parameter in forearm flexors and quadriceps was GLCM and in biceps brachialis and tibialis anterior was EV. The respective combination of these two parameters with MTh resulted in the best AUC (over 90% in all muscle groups and close to the maximum combination model). The use of new textural parameters (EV and GLCM) combined with usual quantitative MUS variables is a promising biomarker in ALS.

Biomechanics of the Median Nerve During Stretching as Assessed by Ultrasonography.

The objective of this observational cross-sectional study was to investigate the normal motion of the median nerve when stretched during a neurodynamic exercise. In recent years, ultrasonography has been increasingly accepted as an imaging technique for examining peripheral nerves in vivo, offering a reliable and noninvasive method for a precise evaluation of nerve movement. Transverse motion of the median nerve in the arm during a neurodynamic test was measured. A volunteer sample of 22 healthy subjects (11 women) participated in the study. Nerve displacement and deformation were assessed by dynamic ultrasonography. Excellent interobserver agreement was obtained, with kappa coefficient of .7-.8. Ultrasonography showed no lateral motion during wrist extension in 68% of nerves, while 73% moved dorsally, with statistically significant differences between sexes (ORlat = 6.3; 95% CI = 1.4-27.7 and ORdor = 8.3; 95% CI = 1.6-44.6). The cross-sectional area was significantly greater in men (3.6 mm2). Quantitative analysis revealed no other statistically significant differences. Our results provide evidence of substantial individual differences in median nerve transverse displacement in response to a neurodynamic exercise.

Development and validity of the questionnaire of patients' experiences in postacute outpatient physical therapy settings.

BACKGROUND: Patient feedback surveys are increasingly seen as a key component of health care quality monitoring and improvement. OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to describe the development and initial psychometric evaluation of a fixed-length questionnaire about the experiences of patients receiving physical therapist treatment in postacute outpatient settings. DESIGN: This was an instrument development study with validity and reliability testing. METHODS: A total of 465 participants attending 3 rehabilitation centers for musculoskeletal conditions completed the questionnaire. A cognitive pretest was applied to the draft version (n=94), and a revised version was evaluated for test-retest reliability (n=90). Analyses to evaluate variance and nonresponse rates for items, the factor structure of the questionnaire, and the metric properties of multi-item scales were conducted. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analyses yielded evidence for a 7-factor structure of the questionnaire, with 3 factors that may be conceptually viewed as professionals' attitudes and behavior (providing information and education, sensitivity to patients' changes, and emotional support) and 4 factors that conceptually reflect organizational environment (duration of attendance, interruptions during care delivery, waiting times, and patient safety). Item-scale correlations ranged from .70 to .93. The percentage of scaling success was 100% for all of the scales. Cronbach alpha coefficients ranged from .70 to .87. Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from .57 to .80 (median=.68). LIMITATIONS: Generalization to other patients is not known. CONCLUSIONS: The questionnaire has test-retest reliability, and the scales have internal consistency and convergent and discriminant validity. All of the scales are distinct and unidimensional.