Wireless Ultrasound As An Alternative Tool To Assess Muscle Characteristics In Division I Female Athletes

Recent developments in wireless ultrasound probes offer a clinically convenient and economical option for evaluating quadriceps muscle properties, as opposed to traditional ultrasound equipment. However, the reliability of these wireless probes in accurately measuring larger muscles like the rectus femoris remains uncertain, primarily due to their restricted field of view. PURPOSE: To determine if muscle thickness and echo intensity (EI) of the rectus femoris collected by wireless ultrasound probe is associated with cross-sectional area (CSA) and EI assessed with a standard ultrasound unit. METHODS: A cross-sectional sample of 29 female participants (age: 20.1 ± 1.1 years, height: 169.7 ± 7.4 cm, mass: 69.7 ± 10.0 kg) were recruited as part of an ongoing longitudinal study of Division I collegiate female athletes. Unilateral panoramic ultrasound images were captured using a standard ultrasound unit to assess the entire rectus femoris at 50% of the thigh length with the participant in 20-30° of knee flexion. Wireless ultrasound probe captured the central portion of the rectus femoris, as the probe's width limited capturing the entire muscle's CSA. Figure 1 highlights how CSA, EI, and muscle thickness were quantified in each image. Pearson product-moment correlations were used to determine the association between the muscle characteristics between instruments (wireless: muscle thickness and EI; standard: CSA and EI). RESULTS: Standard ultrasound unit muscle CSA (10.1 ± 2.0 cm2) was significantly associated with wireless ultrasound probe muscle thickness (2.0 ± 0.3 cm) (r = 0.71, p < 0.001). Standard ultrasound unit muscle EI (56.2 ± 5.1) was significantly associated with wireless ultrasound probe muscle EI (62.0 ± 6.3) (r = 0.49, p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: Wireless ultrasound provides a convenient and cost-efficient approach for assessing muscle size and EI in female Division I athletes, yielding results associated to those of standard ultrasound units. 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