Reliability of Ultrasound for Measuring Abductor Hallucis Muscle
Author Information
Author(s): Cameron Alyse FM, Rome Keith, Hing Wayne A
Primary Institution: AUT University, School of Rehabilitation & Occupation Studies, Health & Rehabilitation Research Centre
Hypothesis
The study aims to evaluate the intra-tester reliability of ultrasound measurements of the abductor hallucis muscle in asymptomatic adults.
Conclusion
Diagnostic ultrasound has the potential to be a reliable tool for evaluating the abductor hallucis muscle in asymptomatic subjects.
Supporting Evidence
- Ultrasound imaging is a safe and non-invasive method for assessing muscle size.
- The study demonstrated high intra-tester reliability for measuring the abductor hallucis muscle.
- Previous studies have shown that ultrasound correlates well with MRI and CT for muscle imaging.
Takeaway
This study shows that using ultrasound to measure a specific foot muscle is very reliable, which means doctors can trust the results.
Methodology
Thirty asymptomatic subjects were imaged using a Philips HD11 Ultrasound machine, and interclass correlation coefficients were calculated for reliability.
Potential Biases
The potential for bias was reduced by randomizing the sequence of subjects.
Limitations
Measurement error in evaluating the cross-sectional area and the ultrasonographer was not blinded to the subjects.
Participant Demographics
20 female and 10 male subjects with a mean age of 28.24 years.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 0.99–0.99 for dorso-plantar thickness; 95% CI: 0.92–0.97 for medio-lateral width; 95% CI: 0.65–0.88 for cross-sectional area.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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