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Shear Wave and Strain Elastographic Features of the Brachial Plexus in Healthy Adults: Reliability of the Findings—a Pilot Study
Author(s) -
Aslan Ahmet,
Aktan Ahmet,
Aslan Mine,
Gülseren Yıldız,
Kabaalioğlu Adnan
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of ultrasound in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1550-9613
pISSN - 0278-4297
DOI - 10.1002/jum.14584
Subject(s) - medicine , intraclass correlation , confidence interval , elastography , elasticity (physics) , brachial plexus , shear modulus , standard error , nuclear medicine , surgery , ultrasound , radiology , statistics , mathematics , composite material , materials science , clinical psychology , psychometrics
Objectives To determine the sonoelastographic findings for the normal brachial plexus via shear wave elastography (SWE) and strain elastography (SE) and the reliability of the measurements. Methods Thirty‐nine healthy adult volunteers were included in the study. The brachial plexus was evaluated with SWE and SE at the interscalene region by 2 observers separately, and the observers were unaware of each other's outcomes. The elastic modulus (kilopascals), shear wave velocity (SWV, meters per second), and strain ratio were obtained. Elasticity patterns on SE were assessed as hard, intermediate, and soft. An intraclass correlation coefficient analysis was performed for determining the reliability of sonoelastographic findings. The correlation of sonoelastographic features with age and sex was investigated. Results The volunteers included 13 men and 26 women. The mean age of the participants ± SD was 36.2 ± 7.8 (range, 25–56) years. The mean elasticity modulus values of the brachial plexus for observers 1 and 2 were 17.03 (95% confidence interval [CI], 15.03, 19.03) and 13.83 (95% CI, 12.23, 15.43) kPa, respectively; the SWVs were 2.24 (95% CI, 2.12, 2.36) and 2.04 (95% CI, 1.93, 2.15) m/s; and the strain ratios were 1.20 (95% CI, 1.18, 1.25) 1.38 (95% CI, 1.22, 1.54). The elasticity pattern was mostly intermediate stiffness for both observers (n = 72 [92.3%]; n = 75 [96.1%]). The intraclass correlation coefficient was poor to moderate and statistically significant for the elastic modulus, SWV, and elasticity pattern ( P < .05 for all parameters). The sonoelastographic characteristics of the brachial plexus had no correlation with age or sex. Conclusions The reliability and reproducibility of sonoelastography of the brachial plexus are low, and the appropriateness of this technique in this manner is controversial.