Ultraschall Med 2018; 39(S 01): S15
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1670399
Wissenschaftliche Vortragssitzungen
Wi-Vo 01 MSK: Do. 15.11. 08:30 – 10:00 Shanghai 3
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Inter-Rater Reliability of an Ultrasound Protocol to Evaluate the Anterolateral Ligament of the Knee

M Kandel
1   Physial Therapy Practice M. Kandel, Oberriet, Switzerland
2   SOMT University, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
,
E Cattrysse
3   Department of Experimental Anatomy, VUB Brussels, Belgium
,
M De Maeseneer
4   Department of Radiology, UZ Brussel, Belgium
,
L Lenchik
5   Radiologic Sciences-Radiology, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, North Carolina, USA
,
MA Paantjens
2   SOMT University, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
6   Ministerie van Defensie, The Netherlands
,
M Leeuw
2   SOMT University, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
6   Ministerie van Defensie, The Netherlands
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
24 October 2018 (online)

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    Objectives:

    The aim of this study was to conduct a valid and reliable musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK US) protocol to evaluate the anterolateral ligament (ALL) of the knee in clinical practice. Imaging assessments to evaluate the integrity of the ALL are clinically relevant in patients with suspected tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and clinical signs of anterolateral instability. MSK US is a non-invasive, cost-effective, static, and dynamic method to visualize the ALL in real time. There is, however, no consensus how to reliably visualize the ALL with MSK US in clinical practice.

    Methods:

    A Thiel technique cadaveric specimen was used to validate the optimal scanning position and create an MSK US protocol to evaluate the ALL of the knee. Three musculoskeletal sonographers acquired short- and long-axis images of 34 knees from 18 healthy participants. Besides clinical evaluation, ALL length, -thickness, -width, and distance between ALL insertion and the tibia plateau were measured. To evaluate reliability the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was used.

    Results:

    The inter-rater reliability for ALL thickness was poor, ICC 0.35 (95%CI: -0.06 – 0.63). The inter-rater reliability for ALL length and width was good, ICC 0.80 (95%CI 0.64 – 0.89), resp. ICC 0.88 (95%CI 0.79 – 0.94) and the inter-rater reliability for the distance between ALL insertion and tibia plateau was excellent, ICC 0.96 (95%CI 0.93 – 0.98).

    Conclusions:

    The protocol presented in this study is a valid and reliable tool to evaluate the anterolateral ligament of the knee. There is an excellent reliability for the distal part of the ALL. As injuries almost always occur in this part of the ligament, this protocol may become a useful tool to evaluate the ALL in patients with suspected ACL tears in clinical practice.

    Keywords:

    anterolateral ligament; musculoskeletal ultrasound; knee instability; anterior cruciate ligament; diagnostic imaging.


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