title: Ultrasound measures of supraspinatus tendon thickness and acromiohumeral distance in rotator cuff tendinopathy are reliable.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Rotator cuff (RC) tendinopathy has been widely ascribed to impingement of the supraspinatus tendon (SsT) in the subacromial space, measured as the acromiohumeral distance (AHD). Ultrasound (US) is suitable for measuring AHD and SsT thickness, but few reliability studies have been carried out in symptomatic populations, and interrater reliability is unconfirmed. This study aimed to examine the intrarater and interrater reliability of US measurements of AHD and SsT thickness in asymptomatic control subjects and patients with RC tendinopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy participants were recruited and grouped as healthy controls (n = 25) and RC tendinopathy (n = 45). Repeated US measurements of AHD and SsT thickness were obtained by one rater in both groups and by two raters in the RC tendinopathy group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intrarater and interrater reliability coefficients were excellent for both measurements (intraclass correlation > 0.92), but the intrarater reliability was superior. The minimal detectable change values in the symptomatic group were 0.7 mm for AHD and 0.6 mm for SsT thickness for a single experienced examiner; the values rose to 1.2 mm and 1.3 mm, respectively, for the pair of examiners.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results support the reliability of US for the measurement of AHD and SsT thickness in patients with symptomatic RC tendinopathy and provide minimal detectable change values for use in future research studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Therapies, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: McCreesh
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
authors.forename: Shakeel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anjum
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Crotty
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Therapies, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.|Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.|University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK.
authors.forename: Jeremy S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000174:Acromion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006811:Humerus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D052256:Tendinopathy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013710:Tendons / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
keywords: acromiohumeral distance; musculoskeletal system; reliability; rotator cuff; shoulder; supraspinatus tendon; ultrasonography