Test-Retest Reliability and Reproducibility of Laser- versus Contact-Displacement Sensors in Mechanomyography: Implications for Musculoskeletal Research.
Whole muscle mechanomyography (MMG) has gained considerable interest in recent years for its ability to noninvasively determine muscle contractile properties (ie, contraction time [Tc], half-relaxation time [1/2Tr], and maximal displacement [Dmax)]). The aim of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of two fairly novel MMG transducers: a laser-displacement sensor (LDS) and contact-displacement sensor (CDS). MMG was conducted on the rectus femoris muscle of 30 healthy individuals on 4 separate occasions. Test-retest reliability was quantified using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Both sensors were reliable for time-derived parameters Tc (ICCs, 0.85-0.88) and 1/2Tr (0.77-0.89), with Dmax identified as the most reproducible parameter (0.89-0.94). The 2 sensors produced similar Tc and Dmax measures, although significant (P < .05) systematic bias was identified with the CDS recording higher mean values, on average. However, these differences may not be considered clinically significant. The wide limits of agreement identified between 1/2Tr measures (-19.0 ms and 25.2 ms) are considered unreliable from a clinical perspective. Overall, MMG demonstrated good-to-excellent reliability for the assessment of muscle contractile properties with no significant differences identified between sessions, thus further validating its applicability as a noninvasive measure of muscle contractile properties.
1 The University of Queensland.
Laura
L
Seidl
1 The University of Queensland.
Danijel
D
Tosovic
1 The University of Queensland.
J Mark
JM
Brown
D056044:Actigraphy / Q000295:instrumentation; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D009213:Myography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014159:Transducers; D055815:Young Adult
contractile properties; mechanomyography; muscle; musculoskeletal; rectus femoris