P V Balint1, R D Sturrock. 1. Centre for Rheumatic Diseases, University Department of Medicine, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, QEB, 10 Alexandra Parade, Glasgow, G31 2ER, Scotland, UK. pb58v@clinmed.gla.ac.uk
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the repeatability and reproducibility of ultrasonographic measurements at the anterior surface of the femoral neck and iliofemoral ligament and on a human tissue-mimicking phantom. METHODS: Two independent investigators studied 22 consecutive hips. One investigator had previous experience in musculoskeletal ultrasonography (US). The other investigator had undergone a short course in hip sonography (only 3 hours). Both investigators were blinded to their own and each other's results. On the phantom both observers had taken 10 vertical measurements at 6 cm deep where two objects were placed at 2 cm from each other. Calculation of measurement errors, percent errors and the Bland-Altman graphic technique were used for analysis of data. RESULTS: After 132 examinations the first investigator's within-subject standard deviation was 0.4 mm. The intraobserver error was 4.75%. The second investigator's within-subject standard deviation was 0.6 mm and his intraobserver error was 7.00%. The interobserver error was 10.91%. After 20 phantom examinations the first investigators's intraobserver error was 1.11% and the second investigator's intraobserver error was 1.47%. CONCLUSION: An inexperienced musculoskeletal sonographer can achieve an acceptable performance if given appropriate training.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the repeatability and reproducibility of ultrasonographic measurements at the anterior surface of the femoral neck and iliofemoral ligament and on a human tissue-mimicking phantom. METHODS: Two independent investigators studied 22 consecutive hips. One investigator had previous experience in musculoskeletal ultrasonography (US). The other investigator had undergone a short course in hip sonography (only 3 hours). Both investigators were blinded to their own and each other's results. On the phantom both observers had taken 10 vertical measurements at 6 cm deep where two objects were placed at 2 cm from each other. Calculation of measurement errors, percent errors and the Bland-Altman graphic technique were used for analysis of data. RESULTS: After 132 examinations the first investigator's within-subject standard deviation was 0.4 mm. The intraobserver error was 4.75%. The second investigator's within-subject standard deviation was 0.6 mm and his intraobserver error was 7.00%. The interobserver error was 10.91%. After 20 phantom examinations the first investigators's intraobserver error was 1.11% and the second investigator's intraobserver error was 1.47%. CONCLUSION: An inexperienced musculoskeletal sonographer can achieve an acceptable performance if given appropriate training.
Authors: A K Scheel; W A Schmidt; K-G A Hermann; G A Bruyn; M A D'Agostino; W Grassi; A Iagnocco; J M Koski; K P Machold; E Naredo; H Sattler; N Swen; M Szkudlarek; R J Wakefield; H R Ziswiler; D Pasewaldt; C Werner; M Backhaus Journal: Ann Rheum Dis Date: 2005-01-07 Impact factor: 19.103
Authors: Matthias Knobe; John Bennet Carow; Miriam Ruesseler; Benjamin Moritz Leu; Melanie Simon; Stefan K Beckers; Alireza Ghassemi; Tolga T Sönmez; Hans-Christoph Pape Journal: BMC Med Educ Date: 2012-09-09 Impact factor: 2.463