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Reliability of tendon excursion measurements in patients using a color Doppler imaging system
Johannes N M Soeters1, Marij E Roebroeck, Wim P J Holland
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to assess the test-retest reliability of tendon excursion measurements with color Doppler imaging in patients with flexor tendon injuries following a modified Kleinert protocol.
Methods:
One observer performed repeated measurements at 3 different time periods in 13 patients with flexor tendon injuries, following a modified Kleinert protocol. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), the standard error of measurement (SEM), and related indices of measurement error were calculated.
Results:
Measurements at 10 day after surgery had an ICC of.88 and an SEM of 1.1 mm. Measurements at 6 weeks after surgery had an ICC of.58 and an SEM of 2.0 mm. The measurements after 3 months had an ICC of.94 and an SEM of 1.2 mm.
Conclusion:
Measurements at 10 days and more than 3 months after surgery were reliable and were as reliable as the measurements performed on healthy subjects. At 6 weeks after surgery the measurements were less reliable. Color Doppler imaging is a reliable and noninvasive method to assess tendon excursion, even in patients with small tendon excursion movements.