How Should Results of Nonsurgical Subcutaneous Fat Removal Be Assessed? Accuracy of B-Mode Ultrasound.
BACKGROUND
Nonsurgical fat reduction has become extremely popular among patients; however, a reliable method of measuring its efficacy has not been established.


METHODS
Ultrasound measurement of human female abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness was carried out on five volunteers. Forty-seven measurements were performed using a GE Venue 40 diagnostic ultrasound device with a 12-MHz transducer. Transducer pressure measurements were recorded simultaneously according to the protocol described by Toomey et al..


RESULTS
Reproducible measurements of abdomen subcutaneous fat could be consistently achieved with a margin of error (95 percent CI) of ±0.558 mm.


CONCLUSIONS
Using a protocol with a transducer pressure less than 1 N (Toomey protocol) allows accurate and reliable measurement of subcutaneous fat. The authors further conclude that such a protocol is practically reproducible in the clinical setting and should be the standard for evaluating the results of nonsurgical fat removal, particularly in the abdomen.


METHODS
Diagnostic, IV.
Dallas, Texas.|From the Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Fritz E
FE
Barton
Dallas, Texas.|From the Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Phillip B
PB
Dauwe
Dallas, Texas.|From the Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Tara
T
Stone
Dallas, Texas.|From the Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Elizabeth
E
Newman
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003357:Cosmetic Techniques; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D050507:Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
Nassab R. The evidence behind noninvasive body contouring devices. Aesthet Surg J. 2015;35:279293.
Mueller W, Horn M, Fürhapter-Rieger W, et al. Body composition in sport: A comparison of a novel ultrasound imaging technique to measure subcutaneous fat tissue compare with skinfold measurement. Br J Sports Med. 2013;47:10281035.
Pineau JC, Filliard JR, Bocquet M. Ultrasound techniques applied to body fat measurement in male and female athletes. J Athl Train. 2009;44:142147.
Wagner D. Ultrasound as a tool to assess body fat. J Obes. 2013;2013:280713.
Coleman SR, Sachdeva K, Egbert BM, Preciado J, Allison J. Clinical efficacy of noninvasive cryolipolysis and its effects on peripheral nerves. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2009;33:482488.
Bullen BA, Quaade F, Olessen E, Lund SA. Ultrasonic reflections used for measuring subcutaneous fat in humans. Hum Biol. 1965;37:375384.
Booth RA, Goddard BA, Paton A. Measurement of fat thickness in man: A comparison of ultrasound, Harpenden calipers, and electrical conductivity. Br J Nutr. 1966;20:719725.
Toomey C, Mccreesh K, Leahy S, Jakeman P. Technical considerations for accurate measurement of subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness using B-mode ultrasound. Ultrasound 2011;19:9196.
Stewart AD, Sutton L. Body Composition in Sport, Exercise, and Health. 2013.Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge.
Mason C, Katzmarzyk PT. Variability in waist circumference measurements according to anatomic measurement site. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2009;17:17891795.
Zachary CB, Saedi N, Allison J. The geometric model and fat reduction. J Drugs Dermatol. 2013;12:2734.
Leahy S, Toomey C, McCreesh K, O’Neill C, Jakeman P. Ultrasound measurement of subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness accurately predicts total and segmental body fat of young adults. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2012;38:2834.