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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
09:57
Obtaining Quality Extended Field-of-View Ultrasound Images of Skeletal Muscle to Measure Muscle Fascicle Length
Published on: December 14, 2020
Validity and Sensitivity of Extended Field-of-View Wireless Palm-Sized Ultrasonography for Assessing Muscle
Tatsuki Fukumitsu1, Yuto Hashimoto2,3, Sari Kanbayashi1
1Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, Japan.
European Journal of Sport Science
|July 30, 2026
Summary
A new wireless ultrasound device accurately measures quadriceps muscle size, showing excellent reliability and strong correlation with MRI. This portable tool effectively tracks muscle growth from training interventions.
Area of Science:
- Musculoskeletal imaging
- Biomedical engineering
- Sports science
Background:
- Assessing muscle size (cross-sectional area or CSA) is crucial for evaluating muscle health and performance.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard for muscle CSA measurement but is expensive and not portable.
- Extended field-of-view (EFOV) ultrasound offers a portable alternative, but validation of wireless, palm-sized devices against MRI, especially with training interventions, is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the validity and sensitivity of a novel extended field-of-view (EFOV) wireless palm-sized ultrasound device.
- To compare the device's measurements of quadriceps femoris cross-sectional area (CSA) against magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
- To assess the device's ability to detect muscle hypertrophy following a resistance training program.
Main Methods:
- Experiment 1: Measured midthigh CSA in 100 young adults (75 males, 25 females) using both the EFOV wireless ultrasound device and MRI.
- Assessed intra-rater reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), coefficient of variation (CV), and smallest detectable change (SDC).
- Experiment 2: Monitored changes in quadriceps CSA (ΔCSA) in 11 males undergoing an 8-week resistance training program using both modalities.
Main Results:
- The wireless ultrasound device demonstrated excellent intra-rater reliability for both males (ICC=0.996) and females (ICC=0.993).
- A strong correlation (r=0.98) was found between ultrasound and MRI measurements of CSA, with minimal bias (-1.23 cm²).
- Both methods detected significant muscle hypertrophy (p<0.001) after training, and the ultrasound's measured changes exceeded its smallest detectable change.
Conclusions:
- The EFOV wireless palm-sized ultrasound device is a valid and sensitive tool for quantifying quadriceps femoris CSA.
- This portable ultrasound technology can reliably monitor muscle adaptations, such as hypertrophy, in response to training.
- The device is suitable for use in athletic performance monitoring and clinical settings due to its accuracy and portability.
