Table 6. Reliability of main parameters of muscle BC assessed by ultrasound.
| Parameter | Population | Reliability | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| RF muscle thickness | Healthy young group (n=60); old group (n=44) | Intrasession and intra-rater reliability of US (three scans acquired): ICC 3,1 =0.98; CV =3.2% | Minetto et al. (75), 2016 |
| Healthy (n=15) | Intra-rater reliability of US: ICC 3,1 =0.81–0.99; inter-rater reliability of US: ICC 3,2 =0.80–0.99 | Delaney et al. (85), 2010 | |
| Healthy (n=14) | Intra-rater reliability of US: test-retest same day (CV) =2.4%±1.4%; variation over 2 days (CV) =2.3%±1.8% | Ema et al. (78), 2013 | |
| Healthy young group (n=26); old group (n=26) | Inter-rater reliability of US: ICC =0.87–0.97 | Strasser et al. (76), 2013 | |
| RF CSA | Healthy (n=26) and COPD (n=30) | Intra-rater reliability of US (n=19): variation over 2 days: mean (SD) bias =12+43 mm2; 95% limits of agreement –72 to +96 mm2; inter-rater reliability of US (n=10): mean (SD) bias =2+32 mm2; 95% limits of agreement –61 to +65 mm2; validation against CT (n=10 COPD, 8 healthy): intraclass co-efficient r=0.88 | Seymour et al. (70), 2009 |
| Healthy (n=15) | Intra-rater reliability of US: ICC 3,1 =0.67–0.99; inter-rater reliability of US: ICC 3,2 =0.92–0.93 | Delaney et al. (85), 2010 | |
| QMLT | Healthy (n=78; 7 centers) | Intra-rater reliability of US (n=42): ICC =0.98; mean difference between two measures by the trainer =0.033 cm; 95% CI =0.004–0.061, P=0.0247; inter-rater reliability of US (n=78): ICC =0.95; mean difference =–0.028 cm, 95% CI =–0.067 to –0.011, P=0.1607 | Tillquist et al. (71), 2014 |
| PA* | Healthy young group (n=26); old group (n=26) | Inter-rater reliability of US in the young group: ICC =0.43–0.78; inter-rater reliability of US in the old group: ICC =0.18–0.74 | Strasser et al. (76), 2013 |
| EI** | Healthy young group (n=26); old group (n=26) | Inter-rater reliability of US in the young group: ICC =0.57–0.65; inter-rater reliability of US in the old group: ICC =0.20–0.31 | Strasser et al. (76), 2013 |
*, Assessed in all muscles of musculus quadriceps except for RF due to the orientation of its fibers almost parallel to their fascia. **, Assessed in all muscles of musculus quadriceps. RF, rectus femoris; BC, body composition; US, ultrasonography; ICC, intraclass correlation coefficient; CV, coefficient of variation; CSA, cross-sectional area; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; QMLT, quadriceps muscle layer thickness; PA, pennation angle; EI, echo intensity.