Reliability of Ultrasonography in Evaluating Hyoid Bone Movement

Abstract

BackgroundTimely and adequate laryngeal elevation along with hyoid bone movement is an essential component of the swallowing movement under normal physiological conditions. The purpose of this study was to verify the reproducibility of using ultrasonography to evaluate hyoid bone displacement during swallowing through the assessment of inter- and intrarater reliability and examine its accuracy by comparing the results with videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS).MethodsA self-designed water balloon was fixed to the transducer, which provided good contact between the transducer and the submental skin. Ten participants with dysphagia were recruited. The measurements of hyoid bone displacement using ultrasonography were performed by two of the authors. All the participants underwent ultrasonographic examinations and VFSS within 24 hours.ResultsThe intrarater intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the two examiners was 0.996 and 0.959, respectively (p < 0.01); the interrater ICC between the two examiners was 0.892 (p < 0.05). ICCs between VFSS and ultrasonography for two researchers were 0.815 and 0.916 (p < 0.01).ConclusionSubmental ultrasonography is a reliable and accurate method for assessing the hyoid bone movement.

Ultrasound: Validity of a Pocket-Sized System in the Assessment of Swallowing

“…While previous studies performed ultrasound and videofluoroscopic imaging separately [ 6 , 8 , 10 ], concurrent data acquisition was performed in this study to eliminate test–retest variability. However, concurrent collection of ultrasound and videofluoroscopic data may partially explain insufficient validity and reliability, as this method posed a technical challenge that may have negatively affected image quality.…”

“…In the literature, there is evidence of validity when measurements of hyoid and laryngeal excursion derived from ultrasound instrumentation and from videofluoroscopy are compared. Two studies documented a strong correlation between ultrasound and videofluoroscopic measurements of hyoid excursion in patients with dysphagia [ 6 , 10 ], while one study reported no significant difference between ultrasound and radiographic measurements of thyrohyoid approximation in subjects with dysphagia [ 8 ].…”

Decreased swallowing function in the sarcopenic elderly, without clinical dysphagia: a case-control study

“…Tongue muscle pressure has already been used frequently as a measure of swallowing muscle strength (9,(11)(12)(13)(14). Hyoid movement is required for adequate opening of upper esophageal sphincter (UES) and is readily measured by submental ultrasonography (15,16). 100-ml water swallowing test (WST) is a sensitive indicator for identifying patients at risk for swallowing dysfunction.…”

“…Submental ultrasonography was used to measure the hyoid movement during swallowing. The protocol was described in detail in previous works (15,21). Each participant swallowed 3 mL of clear water.…”

Influence of Nasogastric Tubes on Swallowing in Stroke Patients: Measuring Hyoid Bone Movement With Ultrasonography

“…Its capability to evaluate dynamic structures suggests that laryngeal elevation could be measured easily by identification of hyoid bone movement, which is the most important process in swallowing and a determining factor for aspiration and penetration. Measuring changes of hyoid bone displacement using US showed good validity that is highly correlated with VFSS measurement in stroke patients and good intra-rater and inter-rater reliability as well [ 10 , 11 ].…”