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Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate intrarater reliability of Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging in obtaining thickness measurements of the gluteus maximus , Transversus abdominis and lumbar multifidus muscles at rest and during contractions. Design: Single-group repeated-measures reliability study. Setting: University and orthopedic physical therapy clinic. Participants: healthy subjects (N = 5). Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Thickness measurements of the Gmax, TrA and lumbar MF muscles at rest and during contractions were obtained by using RUSI during 2 sessions within a day. Percent thickness change was calculated as thickness contracted – thickness rest / thickness rest × 100. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to estimate reliability. Results: Intraexaminer reliability point estimates (ICC) ranged from 0.57 to 0.96. Reliability estimates were lower for percent thickness change measures than the corresponding single thickness measures for all conditions. Conclusions: RUSI Thickness and thickness percent change measurement of Gmax, MF and Tra is adequately reliable.