Article

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the intraexaminer and interexaminer reliability of
rehabilitative ultrasound imaging (RUSI) in obtaining thickness measurements of
the transversus abdominis (TrA) and lumbar multifidus muscles at rest and during
contractions. DESIGN: Single-group repeated-measures reliability study. SETTING:
University and orthopedic physical therapy clinic. PARTICIPANTS: A volunteer
sample of adults (N=30) with current nonspecific low back pain (LBP) was examined
by 2 clinicians with minimal RUSI experience. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Thickness measurements of the TrA and lumbar multifidus muscles
at rest and during contractions were obtained by using RUSI during 2 sessions 1
to 3 days apart. Percent thickness change was calculated as
thickness(contracted)-thickness(rest)/thickness(rest). Intraclass correlation
coefficients (ICC) were used to estimate reliability. RESULTS: By using the mean
of 2 measures, intraexaminer reliability point estimates (ICC(3,2)) ranged from
0.96 to 0.99 for same-day comparisons and from 0.87 to 0.98 for between-day
comparisons. Interexaminer reliability estimates (ICC(2,2)) ranged from 0.88 to
0.94 for within-day comparisons and from 0.80 to 0.92 for between-day
comparisons. Reliability estimates comparing measurements by the 2 examiners of
the same image (ICC(2,2)) ranged from 0.96 to 0.98. Reliability estimates were
lower for percent thickness change measures than the corresponding single
thickness measures for all conditions. CONCLUSIONS: RUSI thickness measurements
of the TrA and lumbar multifidus muscles in patients with LBP, when based on the
mean of 2 measures, are highly reliable when taken by a single examiner and
adequately reliable when taken by different examiners.

Langue : ANGLAIS

Tiré à part : OUI