Interrater reliability of muscle tone, stiffness and elasticity measurements of rectus femoris and biceps brachii in healthy young and older males

Agyapong-Badu, Sandra, Aird, Lucy, Bailey, Louise, Mooney, Kate, Mullix, James, Warner, Martin, Samuel, Dinesh and Stokes, Maria (2013) Interrater reliability of muscle tone, stiffness and elasticity measurements of rectus femoris and biceps brachii in healthy young and older males. Working Papers in the Health Sciences, 1 (4), Summer Issue, 1-11.

Abstract

Purpose: to examine interrater and within-session reliability of using the MyotonPRO device for measuring non-neural tone and mechanical properties of the rectus femoris and biceps brachii muscles in healthy young and older adults.

Methods: forty-two healthy males were studied: n=21 aged 25.9 (SD 4.4) years and n=21 aged 72.1 (SD 4.9) years. The
MyotonPRO device applied brief, low force mechanical impulses to the muscle belly to produce damped oscillations of the muscle at rest. Computing of the parameters was made automatically from the oscillation curve of non-neural mechanical tone (state of intrinsic tension) measured as frequency [Hz], dynamic stiffness [N/m] and elasticity (logarithmic decrement).

Analysis: the means and standard deviations of all three parameters for each rater were calculated. Reliability was assessed using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland and Altman analysis.

Results: excellent within-session intra-rater reliability was demonstrated by raters for both participant groups (intraclass correlation coefficients, ICC 3,2 = 0.94-0.99). Interrater reliability was excellent for all rectus femoris parameters in the young (ICC 3,1= 0.92-0.95) and older group (0.86-0.94). In biceps brachii, reliability was excellent in the young group (0.78-0.94) and for elasticity in the older group (0.89) but was only classed as good for tone (0.67) and stiffness (0.68).

Conclusions: different raters obtained acceptably similar results for all three parameters of rectus femoris in both age groups and for biceps brachii in the young group, and for elasticity only in the older group. The findings indicate that the MyotonPRO has potential use for objective assessment of mechanical muscle properties in clinical and research settings and that the protocol for locating the site for testing biceps brachii in older participants could be modified to improve reliability.

Implications: the MyotonPRO device can be used reliably by different users to assess muscle parameters in healthy people of different ages. Further studies are needed to add to the existing literature to establish Myoton technology as a valid and reliable clinical and research tool for examining the effects of injury, disease and interventions in various muscles in clinical conditions

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Contributors

Author: Martin Warner

Author: Dinesh Samuel

Author: Maria Stokes

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