Variation and reliability of ultrasonographic quantification of the architecture of the medial gastrocnemius muscle in young children

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of ultrasonography for the quantification of gastrocnemius muscle architecture in healthy young children. The variation and reliability of measurement of muscle thickness, pennation angle and fibre length of the medial gastrocnemius were determined, using stationary and portable ultrasound machines, in 13 boys and eight girls aged 4-10. Ultrasound images were obtained from each leg, in duplicate, with the ankle at 90 degrees , then at maximal plantar flexion, with the two machines within the same session. The same set of 16 scans was repeated in four children 4-6 weeks later. The mean muscle thickness, pennation angle and fibre length differed between ankle positions and between legs. Measurements obtained using the two machines established similar values with no significant differences in absolute values and coefficients of variation (CV). For duplicate images taken during the same session for the same leg, ankle position and machine, the CV and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) ranged, respectively, from 2.1% to 3.1% and 0.94-0.98 for muscle thickness, from 4.1% to 6.0% and 0.85-0.96 for pennation angle and from 4.5% to 6.3% and 0.87-0.96 for fibre length. Corresponding values for variables for the same child measured on two separate occasions were within the same ranges, all being similar to reliability data reported previously for adult muscle. Muscle thickness, pennation angle and fibre length of the medial gastrocnemius can therefore be quantified reliably, using either a stationary or portable ultrasound machine, in healthy young children.

Reliability of biceps femoris and semitendinosus muscle architecture measurements obtained with ultrasonography

“…The authors alerted that this structure has been neglected and showed that the superficial fascicles are significantly smaller than the deepest ones. We estimated the fascicle length using trigonometric extrapolation as others (Blazevich et al, 2006;Legerlotz et al, 2010), which assumes that the fascicles are linear, ignoring the curvilinear arrangements (Noorkoiv et al, 2010). This could have resulted in underestimated semitendinosus fascicle length.…”

“…The architecture parameters can be well visualized by ultrasound at rest or during contraction (Gomes et al, 2010;Martins et al, 2012;Potier et al, 2009;Timmins et al, 2015). The reliability of muscle architecture measurements assessed using ultrasound is reported in many studies with different methodologies involving repeated measures between images, sessions, and raters (Legerlotz et al, 2010;Lima et al, 2012). These studies have been important to determine a reproducibility of muscle architecture parameters which are measured very often in training and rehabilitation protocols.…”

“…These studies have been important to determine a reproducibility of muscle architecture parameters which are measured very often in training and rehabilitation protocols. Concerning the lower limbs, reliability studies in vivo are described for the knee extensors (Lima et al, 2012;Noorkoiv et al, 2010) and gastrocnemius muscles (Legerlotz et al, 2010;Martins et al, 2012). The reliability of muscle architecture measurements of the knee flexors, using ultrasound, is less examined in vivo (Chleboun et al, 2001;Gomes et al, 2010;Timmins et al, 2015).…”

Morphological and functional relationships with ultrasound measured muscle thickness of the lower extremity: a brief review

“…Reported estimates of reliability were good to high. [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] With the exception of a study reported by Thoirs and Englsh, 15 the reported intrarater correlation coefficients (ICC) among studies ranged between 0.90 and 0.99. Thoirs and Englsh 15 reported that high test-retest reliability was indicated in the lower extremity when subjects were measured in a standing position (ICC, 0.70-0.89; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.79-0.94 for anterior thigh and 0.49-0.84 for posterior thigh, respectively).…”

Calf Muscle (Triceps Surae Complex) Thickness in an Adult Nigerian Population: An Imaging Based Normographic Study

“…Based on their functional roles, as a musculotendinous unit, in the mechanics of human bipedalism and their significance in the clinical assessment of muscle wasting in children, adolescents and adults [21][22][23]; in the occurrence of overuse injuries of the foot [24], it is absolutely necessary to document a nomographic data of their thickness, to serve as a good guidepost to the further understanding of their biomechanics especially, in a Sub-Saharan African population where studies on the structural disposition of muscles are absolutely lacking. The study will also form a possible basis for description of racial/ethnic differences as was described by Ishida et al [25] between Japanese and Americans; and sexual dimorphism.…”