Reliability and Limits of Agreement of the Supraspinatus Muscle Anatomical Cross-Sectional Area Assessment by Ultrasonography

Ultrasound Med Biol. 2015 Jul;41(7):1821-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2015.02.017. Epub 2015 Apr 1.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and limits of agreement for assessment of the anatomical cross-sectional area (ACSA) of the supraspinatus muscle using B-mode ultrasonography. Sixteen participants were examined with two different protocols, on two different days. There were no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) in ACSA values between days 1 and 2 or between protocols 1 and 2; the average intra-class correlation coefficient ranged from 0.93 to 0.96. The limits of agreement for supraspinatus ACSA were, in both protocols, about ± 1 cm(2). Our findings revealed that both protocols had high reliability in distinguishing differences of about 1 cm(2) between groups or after interventions and that ultrasonography can be used for experimental designs in which the expected changes in ACSA would be higher than 14%.

Keywords: Bland–Altman plots; Muscle morphology; Muscle size; Rotator cuff muscles.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Algorithms*
  • Anatomy, Cross-Sectional / methods*
  • Back Muscles / diagnostic imaging*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods*
  • Male
  • Organ Size
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Rotator Cuff / diagnostic imaging*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Ultrasonography