Comparing the Reliability of Abdominal Muscles Thickness Using Ultrasonography in Adolescents with Low Back Pain and Healthy Adolescents

• Published in: Majallah-i Dānishgāh-i ʻUlūm-i Pizishkī̄-i Bābul Vol. 19; no. 8; pp. 12 - 19
• Main Authors: N Rahmani, MA Mohseni-Bandpei, M Salavati, R Vameghi, I Abdollahi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Babol University of Medical Sciences 01-08-2017
• Subjects: Abdominal Muscles; Adolescents; Low Back Pain; Reliability; Sonography
• ISSN: 1561-4107; 2251-7170

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the relative prevalent musculoskeletal disorders in patients which increases with increasing age. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate reliability of sonography in the assessment of abdominal muscles thickness in adolescents with LBP in comparison to healthy subjects. METHODS: This methodological study was carried out on thirty healthy girls and boys and 30 girls and boys with LBP. Transversus abdominis (TA), internal oblique (IO), external oblique (EO) and subcutaneous fat (SF) were evaluated in crook lying position using sonography at the end of exhalation. Two sets of images were taken on the same day to assess within-day reliability and the third measurement was taken one week later to evaluate between-day reliability. FINDINGS: The values of intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), within-day and between-day reliability were high in two groups (ICC>0.80). ICC values were lower in patients with LBP compared with healthy subjects. Generally, within-day reliability was higher than between-day reliability. CONCLUSION: Reliability of sonography in the evaluation of abdominal muscles thickness and subcutaneous fat width was high in healthy adolescents and those who suffering from LBP.