Silkjær Bak Sara, Johnsen Birger, Fuglsang-Frederiksen Anders, Døssing Kaj, Qerama Erisela
Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 16, Plan 2, J209, DK-8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.
Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 82, Incuba/Skejby, Building 2, DK-8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.
Clin Neurophysiol Pract. 2021 Feb 15;6:72-80. doi: 10.1016/j.cnp.2021.01.003. eCollection 2021.
To obtain normative high-resolution ultrasound (HRUS) data for thickness of the serratus anterior, the trapezius and the rhomboid major muscles and diameter of their corresponding nerves, the long thoracic, the spinal accessory and the dorsal scapular nerve. Moreover, we aimed to examine intra- and inter-examiner agreement of the HRUS measurements.
We included 41 healthy subjects. Muscle thickness and nerve diameter were measured bilaterally, resulting in 82 ultrasound measurements for each structure. Normative data were calculated using regression equations for the lower limit of muscle thickness and upper limit of nerve diameter, taking into account various variables. For intra- and inter-examiner agreement, ten subjects underwent two extra ultrasound examinations and Bland-Altman plots were calculated.
This normative data set showed significant correlations between decreasing muscle thickness with increasing age and height and increasing muscle thickness with increasing weight and with male sex. Muscle thickness was larger on the dominant side compared to the non-dominant side for the trapezius and rhomboid muscles, whereas the opposite was found for the serratus anterior muscle. For all nerves, significant correlations were found between decreasing nerve diameter with increasing age and height. Intra-examiner agreement was acceptable in all sites. Inter-examiner agreement was acceptable for all sites but one site for the serratus anterior muscle and long thoracic nerve, and not acceptable for five out of six sites for the trapezius muscle.
This study provides HRUS normative data and intra- and inter-examiner agreement data for muscle thickness and nerve diameter for the muscles stabilizing the scapulae and their corresponding nerves.
The normative HRUS data reported may be useful in future studies investigating neuromuscular disorders.
获取前锯肌、斜方肌和大菱形肌厚度及其相应神经（胸长神经、副神经和肩胛背神经）直径的高分辨率超声（HRUS）规范数据。此外，我们旨在检验HRUS测量值在检查者内和检查者间的一致性。
我们纳入了41名健康受试者。对双侧肌肉厚度和神经直径进行测量，每个结构共进行82次超声测量。考虑到各种变量，使用回归方程计算肌肉厚度下限和神经直径上限的规范数据。为了评估检查者内和检查者间的一致性，10名受试者额外接受了两次超声检查，并计算了Bland-Altman图。
该规范数据集显示，肌肉厚度随年龄和身高增加而减小，随体重增加和男性性别而增加，二者之间存在显著相关性。斜方肌和菱形肌优势侧的肌肉厚度大于非优势侧，而前锯肌则相反。对于所有神经，神经直径随年龄和身高增加而减小，二者之间存在显著相关性。所有部位的检查者内一致性均可接受。除前锯肌和胸长神经的一个部位外，所有部位的检查者间一致性均可接受，斜方肌六个部位中有五个部位的检查者间一致性不可接受。
本研究提供了HRUS规范数据以及肩胛稳定肌及其相应神经的肌肉厚度和神经直径在检查者内和检查者间的一致性数据。
报告的HRUS规范数据可能对未来研究神经肌肉疾病有用。
