Argento Giuseppe, Vetrano Mario, Cristiano Lara, Suarez Tania, Bartoloni Alessandra, Erroi Davide, Ferretti Andrea, Vulpiani Maria Chiara
Department of Radiology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, Sant'Andrea Hospital, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Muscles Ligaments Tendons J. 2018 Jan 10;7(3):485-490. doi: 10.11138/mltj/2017.7.3.485. eCollection 2017 Jul-Sep.
The aim of our study was to determine inter-observer agreement in the ultrasonographic identification of the anterolateral ligament (ALL) and in the evaluation of its length and thickness in healthy subjects.
80 healthy volunteers (160 knees) (42 males and 38 females) were enrolled in the study. All subjects underwent ultrasound (US) examination of both knees, performed by two physicians with over ten years of musculoskeletal US experience. In order to keep the ALL under optimal tension, the knee was flexed at approximately 30-35°, slightly internally rotated and length and thickness of the ligament were measured.
ALL was identified in 93.8% (150 out of 160) and in 92.5% (148 out of 160) of the knees by Evaluator 1 and Evaluator 2, respectively. Interobserver agreement was substantial to almost perfect for the visualization of the ALL ( =0.90) and for measurements of its length (ICC = 0.83), and strong for measurements of its thickness (ICC = 0.75).
In our study on healthy subjects, ALL has been visualized with a high rate of reproducibility. Further studies are needed to see if US may be a reliable and reproducible diagnostic tool in patients with traumatic or degenerative knee disorders.
II, evidence obtained from cohort study.
我们研究的目的是确定在超声识别健康受试者的前外侧韧带（ALL）以及评估其长度和厚度方面观察者间的一致性。
80名健康志愿者（160个膝关节）（42名男性和38名女性）纳入本研究。所有受试者均接受了双膝关节的超声（US）检查，由两名具有超过十年肌肉骨骼超声经验的医生进行。为使ALL处于最佳张力状态，膝关节屈曲约30 - 35°，轻度内旋，然后测量韧带的长度和厚度。
评估者1和评估者2分别在93.8%（160个中的150个）和92.5%（160个中的148个）的膝关节中识别出ALL。观察者间在ALL可视化方面的一致性为高度至几乎完美（ICC = 0.90），在其长度测量方面为高度一致（ICC = 0.83），在其厚度测量方面为强一致性（ICC = 0.75）。
在我们对健康受试者的研究中，ALL的可视化具有很高的可重复性。需要进一步研究以确定超声是否可能成为创伤性或退行性膝关节疾病患者可靠且可重复的诊断工具。
II，队列研究获得的证据。
