TY  - JOUR
A1  - Rector, Michael V.
A1  - Intziegianni, Konstantina
A1  - Müller, Steffen
A1  - Mayer, Frank
A1  - Cassel, Michael
T1  - Reproducibility of an ankle joint rotation correction method for assessment of Achilles tendon elongation
JF  - Isokinetics and exercise science : official journal of the European Isokinetic Society
N2  - BACKGROUND: The Achilles tendon (AT) requires optimal material and mechanical properties to function properly. Calculation of these properties depends on accurate measurement of input parameters (i.e. tendon elongation). However, the measurement of AT elongation with ultrasound during maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) is overestimated by ankle joint rotation (AJR). Methods to correct the influence of this rotation on AT elongation exist, yet their reproducibility in clinical settings is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the test-retest reproducibility of AT elongation during MVIC after AJR correction. METHODS: Ten participants attended test and retest measurements where they performed plantar-flexion MVIC on a dynamometer. Simultaneously, ultrasound recorded AT elongation as the displacement of the medial gastrocnemius-myotendinous junction, while an electrogoniometer measured AJR. The ankle was then passively rotated to the AJR achieved during MVIC and AT elongation again determined. Elongation was corrected by subtracting this passive AT elongation from the total AT elongation during MVIC. Reproducibility was evaluated using ICC (2.1), test-retest variability (TRV, %), Bland-Altman analyses (Bias +/- LoA [1.96*SD]) and standard error of the measurement (SEM). RESULTS: Corrected AT elongation reproducibility exhibited an ICC = 0.79, SEM = 0.2 cm and TRV = 20 +/- 19%. Bias +/- LoA were determined to be 0.0 +/- 0.8 cm. CONCLUSIONS: Using this ultrasound and electrogoniometer-based method, corrected AT elongation can be assessed reproducibly.
KW  - Ultrasonography
KW  - Achilles tendon
KW  - reproducibility
KW  - isokinetic
KW  - ankle joint rotation
Y1  - 2017
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3233/IES-160644
SN  - 0959-3020
SN  - 1878-5913
VL  - 25
IS  - 1
SP  - 47
EP  - 52
PB  - IOS Press
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Kellis, Eleftherios
A1  - Ellinoudis, Athanasios
A1  - Intziegianni, Konstantina
T1  - Reliability of sonographic assessment of biceps femoris distal tendon strain during passive stretching
JF  - Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology
N2  - The purpose of this study was to determine the intra-rater, inter-examiner and inter-observer reliability of biceps femoris long head (BFlh) tendon strain using ultrasound imaging. Nineteen patients (age: 20.4 +/- 0.35 y) were tested twice with a 1-wk interval. Each session included passive stretching from three different hip positions. Tests were performed independently by two examiners while BFlh tendon displacement (mm) and strain (%) were manually extracted from ultrasound video footages by two observers. Intra-rater comparisons revealed an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC2,1) range of 0.87 to 0.98 and a variability less than 4.74%. Interexaminer comparisons revealed an ICC2,1 range of 0.83 to 0.99 and less than 4.69% variability. Inter-observer ICCs ranged from 0.93 to 0.97 with variability less than 4.89%. Using a well-defined scanning protocol, two experienced examiners attained high levels of intra-rater agreement, with similarly excellent results for inter-rater and inter-observer reliability for BFlh tendon displacement and strain. (E-mail: ekellis@phed-sr.auth.gr) (C) 2017 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology.
KW  - Hamstring
KW  - Tendon
KW  - Strain injury
KW  - Ultrasound
KW  - Imaging
KW  - Muscle
Y1  - 2017
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2017.04.018
SN  - 0301-5629
SN  - 1879-291X
VL  - 43
SP  - 1769
EP  - 1779
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - New York
ER  -