Reliability of size and echo intensity of abdominal skeletal muscles using extended field-of-view ultrasound imaging

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to examine the reliability of extended field-of-view (EFOV) ultrasound imaging to evaluate the cross-sectional area (CSA) and echo intensity of abdominal skeletal muscles.

Methods

Twenty-seven healthy young males (age 18.6 ± 1.0 years, body mass index 20.9 ± 2.8 kg/m², waist circumference 75.0 ± 7.9 cm, body fat 16.6 ± 5.9%) visited the laboratory on 2 days. EFOV ultrasound images of the rectus abdominis, abdominal oblique, and erector spinae muscles were acquired at the height of the third lumbar vertebra with the subject lying on a bed. We then analyzed CSA and echo intensity using ImageJ software and calculated intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) and the standard error of measurement (SEM).

Results

No significant differences (p = 0.149–0.679) were observed in CSA or echo intensity values for each skeletal muscle between days. ICC and SEM values in CSA for each skeletal muscle ranged between 0.944 and 0.958 and 4.9% and 7.3%, respectively. The corresponding values for echo intensity were 0.851–0.945 for ICC and 5.3–9.7% for SEM.

Conclusions

The present results indicate that EFOV ultrasound imaging has high repeatability for measuring CSA and echo intensity of abdominal skeletal muscle groups in healthy college-aged males.

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