Reliability of upper trapezius muscle thickness measurement using B-mode ultrasound Images in patients with latent trigger points

Document Type : Original article

Authors

1 1. Student Research Committee. MSc student of Physical therapy, International Branch of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences,Tehran, Iran.

2 2. Assistant Professor of Physical therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences,Tehran,Iran

3 3. Professor of physical therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences,Tehran, Iran

4 4. Associate Professor of Biostatistics, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences,Tehran, Iran

5 5. Student Research Committee. MSc student of Physical therapy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences,Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Background and Aim: Concerning the liability of Upper trapezius as a postural muscle to permanent  stresses&microtraumae and  therefore its high susceptibility to form trigger points , a highly reliable measurement instrument is needed to make an accurate judgment about its function& its thickness. The aim of this study was to determine the reliability of ultrasonographic measurement of upper trapezius thickness in women suffering from  its latent trigger points.
Materials and Methods: This methodological research was conducted  by two examiners on 15 women with latent  trigger points of upper trapezius. Four images of upper trapezius thickness via ultrasonography were taken on the same day with two hours interval by two examiners at separate times  to assess the within- day reliability for each examiner and also the reliability between these two examiners using M-mode ultrasound images (7.5 MHz linear transducer) . Muscle thickness change was measured in prone , at the end  of   expiration. Reliability was examined using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM),  and smallest detectable  difference(SDD).
Results: The results demonstrated that intra-rater within-day reliability was good both for the first examiner (ICC=0.95,SEM=0.49,SDD=1.38) and the second examiner (ICC=0.95,SEM=0.55,SDD=1.55) and inter-rater reliability was also  good between examiners (ICC=O.87,SEM=0.89,SDD=2.47).
Conclusion: This study demonstratesultrasonography can be used reliably with low grades of SEM&SDD  to measure upper trapezius   thickness following the procedure described by this paper especially in interventional & follow-up studies.

Keywords

References

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The Scientific Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine
Volume 4, Issue 1 - Serial Number 1
March and April 2015
Pages 17-25

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History

  • Receive Date: 21 June 2014
  • Revise Date: 15 October 2014
  • Accept Date: 12 December 2014
  • First Publish Date: 21 March 2015

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