INTRODUCTION: In peripheral nerve ultrasound, the healthy contralateral side may be used as internal control. Therefore, inherent side-to-side differences must be minimal. The goal of this study was to assess intrastudy, intraobserver, and interobserver reproducibility of ultrasound in comparative side-to-side evaluation of lower limb nerves. METHODS: Lower limb nerves of 60 normal subjects were evaluated by 3 radiologists. Bilateral sciatic, tibial, common fibular, sural, lateral femoral cutaneous, femoral, obturator, and saphenous nerves were evaluated. RESULTS: Overall, side-to-side differences were not statistically significant at any level. In the lower limb nerves, in a between-limb comparison, the minimum detectable difference of cross-sectional area ranged from 16.4 mm(2) (sciatic nerve at the level of piriformis muscle) to 0.4 mm(2) (saphenous nerve). CONCLUSION: In general, the healthy contralateral side can be used as an internal control.
INTRODUCTION: In peripheral nerve ultrasound, the healthy contralateral side may be used as internal control. Therefore, inherent side-to-side differences must be minimal. The goal of this study was to assess intrastudy, intraobserver, and interobserver reproducibility of ultrasound in comparative side-to-side evaluation of lower limb nerves. METHODS: Lower limb nerves of 60 normal subjects were evaluated by 3 radiologists. Bilateral sciatic, tibial, common fibular, sural, lateral femoral cutaneous, femoral, obturator, and saphenous nerves were evaluated. RESULTS: Overall, side-to-side differences were not statistically significant at any level. In the lower limb nerves, in a between-limb comparison, the minimum detectable difference of cross-sectional area ranged from 16.4 mm(2) (sciatic nerve at the level of piriformis muscle) to 0.4 mm(2) (saphenous nerve). CONCLUSION: In general, the healthy contralateral side can be used as an internal control.
Authors: Michele R Colonna; Giuseppe Tallarida; Francesco Stagno d'Alcontres; Salvatore Noto; Aurora Parodi; Alberto Tagliafico Journal: Case Rep Neurol Med Date: 2016-09-21
Authors: Nurcan Üçeyler; Kristina A Schäfer; Daniel Mackenrodt; Claudia Sommer; Wolfgang Müllges Journal: Front Neurol Date: 2016-03-30 Impact factor: 4.003