Intra-rater reliability of measurement of abdominal perimuscular connective tissue thickness on ultrasound images.
Wataru Nanikawa, Junya Miyazaki
PMID 33519071WHAT IT FOUND
Ultrasound measurements of abdominal connective tissue thickness showed good to excellent consistency when the same therapist measured the same men twice on the same day and again within two weeks.
The smallest change that can be trusted above measurement noise is 0.1 to 1.4 mm.
Key findings
01Reliability ratings for ultrasound measures of abdominal perimuscular connective tissue ranged from 0.7 to 0.9, which the authors classify as good to excellent.
02The minimum detectable change was 0.1 to 0.3 mm for abdominal wall muscle tissue and 1.3 to 1.4 mm for the distance between the rectus muscles.
03The study tested only one therapist’s consistency across time, not whether different therapists could obtain the same numbers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only healthy young men were tested, so the numbers may not apply to women, older adults, or people with back pain. Only one therapist performed all measurements, so the study shows that one person can be consistent over time but does not show that two different therapists would get the same results. Tissue edges were identified by eye on the screen, and the layers measured are very thin, which the authors say limits reliability. The study measured only abdominal wall tissue, not connective tissue elsewhere.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 0.7 to 0.9 consistency ratings as evidence that ultrasound measurement of abdominal connective tissue diagnoses chronic low back pain or guides treatment. This study tested only one therapist’s repeatability in healthy young men, and the authors state that the method is not standardised and that visual identification of tissue edges limits reliability.