title: Test-retest and intra-observer repeatability of two-, three- and four-dimensional perineal ultrasound of pelvic floor muscle anatomy and function.
abstract: The aims of the present study were to evaluate test-retest intra-observer repeatability of ultrasound measurement of the morphology and function of the pelvic floor muscles (PFMs). Seventeen subjects were tested twice. Two-, three- and four- dimensional ultrasound recorded cough, huff, muscle morphology and PFM contraction, respectively. Analyses were conducted offline. Measurements of levator hiatal dimensions demonstrated intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) values of 0.61, 0.72, 0.86 and 0.92, for the anterior-posterior dimension, transverse dimension, resting area and narrowing during contraction, respectively. Muscle thickness showed variable reliability. ICC values for measurement of the position of the bladder neck were 0.86 and 0.82 at rest, in the vertical and horizontal direction. Displacement of the bladder neck during contraction, huff and cough demonstrated ICC values of 0.56, 0.59 and 0.51, respectively. Perineal ultrasound is a reliable method for measuring most of the tested parameters of morphology and function of the PFMs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, P.O. Box 4014, Ulleval Stadion, 0806 Oslo, Norway. ingeborg.brekken@nih.no
authors.forename: Ingeborg Hoff
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Braekken
authors.forename: Memona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Majida
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ellstrøm-Engh
authors.forename: Hans Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Umek
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bø
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015588:Observer Variation; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010502:Perineum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*