Intra-rater reliability, standard error of measurement, and minimal detectable change of two muscle compressibility measurement methods using ultrasonography in spastic hand flexor muscles

The measurement of muscle compressibility in the spastic hand flexor muscles of post-stroke patients is a reliable assessment method, whether longitudinal or transverse. However, the lower values of SEM and MDC for the longitudinal scanning method show that this method may be more sensitive to changes than the transverse scanning method and has a greater precision in measurement.Implications for RehabilitationCompressibility is a relatively new parameter in diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasonography that is calculated from muscle thickness measurements to evaluate muscle elasticity.The compressibility parameter can be used to evaluate treatment methods that claim to reduce or manage muscle spasticity.The lower values of standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change for the longitudinal scanning method show that this method may be more sensitive to changes than the transverse scanning method and has a greater precision in measurement.