Wireless Vs. Standard Ultrasound: A Comparative Study Of Quadriceps Tendon Thickness In Female Collegiate Athletes

In collegiate athletics, the quadriceps tendon (QT) plays a pivotal role in performance and injury prevention. Diminished strength and QT thickness can negatively impact peak performance and increase knee injury risks. Novel wireless ultrasound (US) offers a more portable solution for noninvasive QT assessments. However, the effectiveness of wireless ultrasound probes in accurately measuring QT thickness compared to standard ultrasound carts remains uncertain. PURPOSE: To assess the accuracy of a wireless US probe in assessing QT thickness compared to a standard wired US cart. METHODS: We enrolled 37 female NCAA Division 1 athletes (age = 20.2 ± 1.4 years, height = 1.7 ± 0.7 m, mass = 68 ± 10.7 kg). Participants were positioned supine with their knees flexed to 20-30° and two longitudinal infrapatellar images were acquired unilaterally using a standard and wireless US unit. The cross-sectional area (CSA) of the QT was manually segmented on each image by tracing around its borders from the superior pole of the patella to the distal end (Figure 1). QT length was defined as the length of the deep border of the CSA. QT thickness was estimated by dividing QT CSA by its length. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC2,k) were used to calculate the agreement between QT thickness assessed by the standard and wireless US probes. RESULTS: QT thickness assessed by the wireless probe was 5.66 ± 0.89 mm, while thickness assessed by the standard US unit was 5.82 ± 0.78 mm. There was excellent agreement (ICC2,k = 0.85, 95% confidence intervals = 0.68, 0.92) between the QT thickness assessed by the wireless and standard US unit. CONCLUSIONS: Wireless US proves to be an accurate tool for QT thickness assessment in female NCAA athletes. The strong agreement with a standard US unit highlights its potential in sports medicine for regular athlete monitoring. Future research is needed with wireless US units to better understand the implications for performance and injury prevention in collegiate athletes. Dr. Harkey was supported by a National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) grant (K01 AR081389). ChatGPT was used to revise the content of this research abstract