title: Reliability of new software in measuring cervical multifidus diameters and shoulder muscle strength in a synchronized way; an ultrasonographic study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted with the purpose of evaluating the inter-session reliability of new software to measure the diameters of the cervical multifidus muscle (CMM), both at rest and during isometric contractions of the shoulder abductors in subjects with neck pain and in healthy individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present study, the reliability of measuring the diameters of the CMM with the Sonosynch software was evaluated by using 24 participants, including 12 subjects with chronic neck pain and 12 healthy individuals. The anterior-posterior diameter (APD) and the lateral diameter (LD) of the CMM were measured in a resting state and then repeated during isometric contraction of the shoulder abductors. Measurements were taken on separate occasions 3 to 7 days apart in order to determine inter-session reliability. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and smallest detectable difference (SDD) were used to evaluate the relative and absolute reliability, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Sonosynch software has shown to be highly reliable in measuring the diameters of the CMM both in healthy subjects and in those with neck pain. The ICCs 95% CI for APD ranged from 0.84 to 0.94 in subjects with neck pain and from 0.86 to 0.94 in healthy subjects. For LD, the ICC 95% CI ranged from 0.64 to 0.95 in subjects with neck pain and from 0.82 to 0.92 in healthy subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultrasonographic measurement of the diameters of the CMM using Sonosynch has proved to be reliable especially for APD in healthy subjects as well as subjects with neck pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, IR.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rahnama
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapy Research Center, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR.
authors.forename: Asghar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rezasoltani
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR.
authors.forename: Minoo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khalkhali-Zavieh
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz, IR.
authors.forename: Behnam
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rahnama
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medical Imaging Research Center, Shiraz, IR.
authors.forename: Farhang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Noori-Kochi
mesh_terms: D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012782:Shoulder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D012984:Software; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation*