Comparison of Geniohyoid Muscle Morphology Assessment Using Conventional and Handheld Ultrasound Devices

Area of Science:

• Point-of-care diagnostics
• Medical imaging technology
• Swallowing biomechanics

Background:

• Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) enables rapid bedside swallowing assessments.
• Handheld ultrasound devices (HHUDs) offer portability for community and home settings.
• Geniohyoid muscle (GM) morphology is vital for hyolaryngeal elevation and aspiration risk evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate geniohyoid muscle (GM) morphology using conventional ultrasound imaging systems (UISs) and HHUDs.
• To assess the relative and absolute reliability of HHUDs compared to UISs for GM assessment.
• To investigate the correlation between GM measurements obtained from UISs and HHUDs.

Main Methods:

• GM morphology was measured using UIS and HHUD, including diameters, cross-sectional areas, and contraction percentage.
• Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) assessed relative reliability.
• Bland-Altman analysis evaluated absolute reliability and bias between devices.

Main Results:

• High intrarater reliability (ICC > 0.9) was found for most GM parameters, excluding contraction percentage.
• Bland-Altman analysis revealed fixed bias in longitudinal and transverse GM measurements.
• Significant positive correlations existed between UIS and HHUD measurements, with HHUDs yielding smaller values.

Conclusions:

• HHUDs are suitable for geniohyoid muscle (GM) morphological assessment, but clinicians must consider their tendency for smaller measurements.
• HHUD-based GM evaluation shows potential for assessing sarcopenia-related dysphagia in older adults.
• Portable HHUDs can facilitate home-based clinical assessments of swallowing function.