Ultrasound Evaluation Of The Abductor Hallucis Muscle In Youth: A Reliability And Validity Study

The abductor hallucis muscle plays an essential role during gait and is a dynamic stabiliser of the medial longitudinal arch. To date, the reliability of measuring abductor hallucis cross-sectional area using a portable ultrasound in a youth population does not exist. PURPOSE: This study had three aims. Firstly, to investigate the validity of portable ultrasound compared to a traditional cart-based device. Secondly, to investigate the inter-rater reliability between two technicians taking independent measurements from the same portable ultrasound device. Thirdly, to investigate the intra-rater reliability of a single technician using a portable ultrasound device at time points separated by seven days. METHODS: The abductor hallucis muscle cross-sectional area was assessed in fifteen participants aged between 11 and 17. The inter- and intra-rater reliability was assessed using a Clarius L15HD ultrasound device. The inter-machine validity was assessed using a Clarius L15HD and a Samsung HS40 device. RESULTS: The portable handheld ultrasound device had good to excellent inter- and intra-rater reliability (ICC = 0.934 and 0.969, respectively), and the two devices had a strong positive correlation (r = 0.938, p = <0.001). CONCLUSION: The protocol described in this paper showed that the Clarius L15HD portable ultrasound device can reliably assess abductor hallucis cross-sectional area in youths.