title: Rehabilitative ultrasound imaging of the supraspinatus muscle: Intra- and interrater reliability of thickness and cross-sectional area.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine intra- and interrater reliability of thickness and cross-sectional area (CSA) measurements of the supraspinatus muscle using rehabilitative ultrasound imaging (RUSI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two physical therapists acquired b-mode images of the supraspinatus muscles in twenty-five healthy subjects. Thickness and CSA were measured. Intra- and interrater reliability were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intrarater reliability for thickness was high, (ICC1.1 0.91) for rater 1 and (ICC1.1 0.92) for rater 2. Intrarater reliability for CSA was also high, (ICC1.1 0.90) for rater 1 and (ICC1.1 0.85) for rater 2. Interrater reliability for the thickness was high, (ICC3.1 0.86). For CSA, interrater reliability was moderate, (ICC3.1 0.70).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Supraspinatus muscle thickness and CSA can be reliably measured by physical therapists in healthy subjects. These findings confirm that RUSI has an interesting potential for physiotherapy clinical practice, especially to assess morphometric changes in skeletal muscles. Further research is needed in subjects with shoulder disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, SUPSI, Switzerland. Electronic address: alessandro.schneebeli@supsi.ch.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schneebeli
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, SUPSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Egloff
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, St. Anna Clinic, Sorengo, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giampietro
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, SUPSI, Landquart, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Clijsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, SUPSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barbero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D015588:Observer Variation; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D012782:Shoulder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Morphometry; Rehabilitative ultrasound imaging; Reliability; Sonography; Supraspinatus muscle