Hamstring muscle architecture assessed sonographically using wide field of view: A reliability study

Area of Science:

• Musculoskeletal Ultrasound
• Sports Medicine Imaging
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Accurate assessment of muscle architecture is crucial for understanding muscle function and injury.
• Traditional ultrasound methods may have limitations in capturing the full extent of muscle structures.
• Wide field of view ultrasound offers a broader perspective for musculoskeletal imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the intra-rater reliability of static wide field of view ultrasound.
• To quantify the architectural characteristics of hamstring muscles using this technique.
• To determine the consistency of measurements made by a single operator.

Main Methods:

• Twenty amateur male athletes underwent bilateral hamstring ultrasound assessments.
• Static wide field of view ultrasound imaging was performed by a single sonographer on two separate occasions.
• Key architectural parameters including muscle length, fascicle length, pennation angle, and muscle thickness were measured.

Main Results:

• Excellent intra-rater reliability was observed for muscle length (ICC=0.99) and fascicle length (ICC=0.92-0.98).
• Muscle thickness measurements demonstrated excellent reliability (ICC=0.90-0.96) across most hamstring muscles.
• Pennation angle measurements showed good intra-rater reliability (ICC=0.77-0.87).

Conclusions:

• Static wide field of view ultrasound is a reliable method for quantifying hamstring muscle architecture in male amateur athletes.
• The technique provides consistent measurements for muscle length, fascicle length, and muscle thickness.
• This imaging approach can be valuable for clinical and research applications in sports medicine.