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Intra‐Operator and Inter‐Operator Reliability and Repeatability of Muscle Measurement Via Ultrasonography in the E quine Cervical Spine
Author(s) -
Rombach N,
Stubbs N
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
equine veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.82
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 2042-3306
pISSN - 0425-1644
DOI - 10.1111/evj.12267_166
Subject(s) - repeatability , medicine , reliability (semiconductor) , multifidus muscle , operator (biology) , ultrasonography , ultrasound , anatomy , neck muscles , neck pain , nuclear medicine , radiology , low back pain , mathematics , pathology , physics , alternative medicine , power (physics) , statistics , biochemistry , chemistry , quantum mechanics , repressor , transcription factor , gene
Ultrasonography is used for functional assessment of deep peri‐vertebral muscles in people with neck pain. This study evaluated intra‐operator and inter‐operator reliability and repeatability of ultrasound image acquisition ( US ) and muscle cross‐sectional area measurement ( CSA ) of m. multifidus and m. longus colli in the equine cervical spine. Methods Two US operators independently acquired 60 unilateral US images per horse from 5 standing horses (mean ± SD : age: 12.1 ± 10.5 years) at spinal levels C3 ‐ C6 (m. multifidus) and C2 ‐ C5 (m. longus colli). Each operator traced each image blindly three times (n = 360 per operator) to calculate CSA . ANOVA analysis compared CSA across all subjects within and between operators for effects of vertebral level, reliability of image acquisition and repeatability of CSA calculation. Results Intra‐operator results for m. multifidus were 72% ( ICC ) and 5% ( CV ), and 90% ( ICC ) and 4% ( CV ) between operators. Image acquisition was unreliable at C6. Intra‐operator results for m. longus colli were 100% ( ICC ) and 0% ( CV ), and 77% ( ICC ) and 0% ( CV ) between operators. Image acquisition was unreliable at C2. CSA for both muscles was largest at C4 and C5 . Conclusions Ultrasonography could be used reliably and repeatably for CSA measurement of m. multifidus and m. longus colli in the mid‐cervical spine of the horse. Further studies will determine reliability across time and CSA side‐side symmetry in horses with neck pain. Ethical Animal Research Approval for this study was obtained under Institutional A nimal C are and U se C ommittee number 02‐11/020‐00. Sources of funding: M ichigan S tate U niversity CVM E ndowed R esearch F unds. Competing interests: none.