PURPOSE: This study examined the reliability of patellar tendon cross sectional area (CSA) measurement using brightness mode ultrasonography. METHODS: The patellar tendon CSA of fourteen participants was examined on two different days and at three different positions (proximal, median and distal). Five trials per day were conducted in each position, replacing the ultrasound probe on every trial. The images were examined by three different and equally experienced observers. We compared the mean of the five trials in each position to examine the day, observer and position effect. Further, Bland and Altman plots, root mean square (RMS) differences and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated. RESULTS: There was a significant (p < 0.05) day, observer and position effect on the CSA, while the average ICC was 0.592. The Bland and Altman plots showed that differences between conditions or groups, should be in average lower than 37% or higher than 55% of the patellar tendon CSA to be important for clinical or intervention studies. CONCLUSION: Our findings show low reliability of the method, which resulted from the low clarity and unclear visibility of tissue boundaries in the ultrasound images. Therefore, the measurement of the CSA of the patellar tendon using ultrasound does not provide accurate and reliable results.
PURPOSE: This study examined the reliability of patellar tendon cross sectional area (CSA) measurement using brightness mode ultrasonography. METHODS: The patellar tendon CSA of fourteen participants was examined on two different days and at three different positions (proximal, median and distal). Five trials per day were conducted in each position, replacing the ultrasound probe on every trial. The images were examined by three different and equally experienced observers. We compared the mean of the five trials in each position to examine the day, observer and position effect. Further, Bland and Altman plots, root mean square (RMS) differences and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated. RESULTS: There was a significant (p < 0.05) day, observer and position effect on the CSA, while the average ICC was 0.592. The Bland and Altman plots showed that differences between conditions or groups, should be in average lower than 37% or higher than 55% of the patellar tendon CSA to be important for clinical or intervention studies. CONCLUSION: Our findings show low reliability of the method, which resulted from the low clarity and unclear visibility of tissue boundaries in the ultrasound images. Therefore, the measurement of the CSA of the patellar tendon using ultrasound does not provide accurate and reliable results.
Authors: Luis M Alegre; Michael Hasler; Sebastian Wenger; Werner Nachbauer; Robert Csapo Journal: Eur J Appl Physiol Date: 2016-07-29 Impact factor: 3.078
Authors: Joana Castro; Karina Livino de Carvalho; Paulo Eugênio Silva; Emerson Fachin-Martins; Nicolas Babault; Rita de Cássia Marqueti; João Luiz Quagliotti Durigan Journal: PLoS One Date: 2019-06-27 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Sebastian Klich; Aureliusz Kosendiak; Igor Krymski; Adam Kawczyński; Pascal Madeleine; Cesar Fernández-de-Las-Peñas Journal: PLoS One Date: 2022-07-05 Impact factor: 3.752
Authors: David T Sims; Gladys L Onambélé-Pearson; Adrian Burden; Carl Payton; Christopher I Morse Journal: Front Physiol Date: 2018-07-20 Impact factor: 4.566