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Inter-rater reliability of trunk muscle morphometric analysis.
Stephanie Valentin1, Tobey DeMott Yeates2, Theresia Licka3
1Movement Science Group Vienna, Equine Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation
|January 29, 2015
Summary
This study found high inter-rater reliability for trunk muscle volume and fatty infiltrate in novice assessors, with the multifidus muscle requiring further training for consistent measurement. This is crucial for understanding low back pain conditions.
Area of Science:
- Anatomy
- Radiology
- Musculoskeletal System
Background:
- Limited data exists on the inter-rater reliability of individual trunk muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) measurements.
- Previous studies focused on generalized lumbar extensors, not specific trunk muscles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the inter-rater reliability of muscle volume and muscle fatty infiltrate (MFI) for individual trunk muscles.
- To evaluate the consistency of measurements between two novice assessors.
Main Methods:
- Lumbar axial MRI scans from 10 healthy males were analyzed.
- Erector spinae (ES), multifidus (M), rectus abdominis (RA), and psoas (PS) muscles were manually traced.
- Muscle volume and MFI were quantified, with agreement assessed using ICC, Bland-Altman plots, and Lin's concordance coefficient.
Main Results:
- Good to excellent agreement (ICC 0.77-0.96) was observed for muscle volume and MFI in the first evaluation for all muscles, except multifidus (M) volume.
- Multifidus (M) volume required a second evaluation to achieve acceptable reliability.
- Erector spinae (ES) demonstrated the highest agreement for both muscle volume and MFI (ICC 0.96).
Conclusions:
- Initial assessment of muscle volume and MFI shows high to excellent inter-rater reliability.
- The multifidus (M) muscle requires additional training or experience to ensure reliable measurements.
- Findings have clinical implications for assessing multifidus (M) atrophy in low back pain patients.
