Reliability of new software in measuring cervical multifidus diameters and shoulder muscle strength in a synchronized way; an ultrasonographic study

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted with the purpose of evaluating the inter-session reliability of new software to measure the diameters of the cervical multifidus muscle (CMM), both at rest and during isometric contractions of the shoulder abductors in subjects with neck pain and in healthy individuals. METHOD: In the present study, the reliability of measuring the diameters of the CMM with the Sonosynch software was evaluated by using 24 participants, including 12 subjects with chronic neck pain and 12 healthy individuals. The anterior-posterior diameter (APD) and the lateral diameter (LD) of the CMM were measured in a resting state and then repeated during isometric contraction of the shoulder abductors. Measurements were taken on separate occasions 3 to 7 days apart in order to determine inter-session reliability. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and smallest detectable difference (SDD) were used to evaluate the relative and absolute reliability, respectively. RESULTS: The Sonosynch software has shown to be highly reliable in measuring the diameters of the CMM both in healthy subjects and in those with neck pain. The ICCs 95% CI for APD ranged from 0.84 to 0.94 in subjects with neck pain and from 0.86 to 0.94 in healthy subjects. For LD, the ICC 95% CI ranged from 0.64 to 0.95 in subjects with neck pain and from 0.82 to 0.92 in healthy subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonographic measurement of the diameters of the CMM using Sonosynch has proved to be reliable especially for APD in healthy subjects as well as subjects with neck pain.

Comparison of cervical muscle thickness between asymptomatic women with and without forward head posture

“…Nevertheless, MRIs and CT scans are expensive and the CT scan entails X-ray radiation, while RUSI is considered an accessible, cost effective, and reliable method of evaluation of muscle thickness. 14 …”

Differential Activation of the Dorsal Neck Muscles During a Light Arm‐Elevation Task in Patients With Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain and Asymptomatic Controls: An Ultrasonographic Study

“…All muscle thicknesses were measured at rest and at the first, second, and third seconds of the elevation task via custom‐designed software with Sonography‐capture‐85808 (USWR Biomechanics Lab, Tehran, Iran) which is an ultrasound‐built software using C++ programming language that was specifically developed to measure muscle thickness [25]. This software recorded and stored ultrasound images with a sampling rate of 20 images per second.…”

Correlation Between Craniovertebral Angle and Thickness of Longus Colli in Women with and Without Forward Head Posture

“…Muscle thickness measurement can demonstrate the strength and function of the muscle (13). Ultrasonography is considered a cost-effective, reliable, and accessible method to evaluate muscle thickness (14). Some previous studies compared the dimension of LCo in subjects with and without FHP (11,15,16).…”