• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.155-161
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• 2016

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the reliability and validity of a personal computer-based muscle viewer (PC-BMW) compared with that of a portable ultrasound (P-US) for measuring upper trapezius (UT) and transversus abdominis (TrA) muscle thickness at rest and during contraction. Design: Observational inter-rater reliability study. Methods: Fifty-five healthy participants (25 men, 30 women) participated in this study. PC-BMW and P-US were randomly measured at the UT and TrA muscles. Two examiners randomly obtained the images of all participants in 3 test sessions lasting 2 days. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs), standard error of measurement, contraction ratio, and correlation were used to estimate reliability and validity. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to analyze the relationship between muscle thickness measures taken from PC-BMW and P-US. Results: The intra-rater reliability ICCs of UT and TrA muscle thickness for the PC-BMW were >0.995, indicating excellent reliability. Inter-rater reliability ICCs for the PC-BMW ranged from 0.963 to 0.987. The P-US also exhibited high reliability. A high correlation was found between the measurements of the two muscles in PC-BMW and P-US (p<0.01). Conclusions: PC-BMW provides clear and excellent images, is pocket-sized and less expensive than a conventional ultrasound imaging system. PC-BMW can be utilized variously and has the advantage of rehabilitative ultrasound imaging. More research is needed to evaluate the utility of PC-BMW for rehabilitation.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.259-267
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• 2023

Objective: Rehabilitative ultrasound imaging is a safe and noninvasive technique for evaluating muscle thickness. A dual probe-fixing frame (DPF) can provide visual feedback during exercises targeting specific muscles. The purpose of this research was to verify the reliability and validity of the DPF for dual-probe ultrasound (DPU)-based visual feedback exercises, allowing users to use both hands freely. Design: This cross-sectional study used repeated measures to compare muscle thickness measurements obtained using the handheld device and DPF with DPU. Methods: Twenty healthy adults participated in the study. Measurements were taken over two sessions, with a two-day interval between the sessions. The thicknesses of the rectus abdominis (RA) and transverse abdominis (TrA) muscles were measured using DPU. The DPF with DPU developed by the research team, was used along with a laptop-based muscle viewer. Bland-Altman analysis and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) calculations were used in statistical analyses to evaluate agreement and reliability, respectively. Results: The results of the Bland-Altman analysis showed small average differences between the handheld and DPF methods for both RA and TrA muscle thicknesses. Inter-rater reliability analysis showed high ICC values for DPF measurements of both RA (0.908-0.912) and TrA (0.892-741) muscle thicknesses. Intra-rater reliability analysis also showed good ICC values for measurements taken by a single examiner over two days. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate that the DPF provides reliable and valid measurements of muscle thickness during visual feedback exercises using the DPU.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.367-376
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• 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare changes in pediatric Cobb's angle resulting from using the modified scoliosis exercise method to promote proprioception. Methods: There were 32 participants in this study. Cobb's angle was measured automatically using a ZeTTA PACS Viewer through a digital computer program with whole-body x-ray anterior to posterior. Scoliosis was diagnosed by a Cobb's angle of 10° or higher. Modified scoliosis exercises were used as the program for the three-stage method used in the study: the preparation phase (warm-up), actual exercise phase (main exercise), and final clean-up phase (cool-down). In this study, exercises that can promote proprioception, including muscle strengthening, stretching, equilibrium, myofascial release, balance taping, and traction, were applied, and their effects before and after treatment were compared. After implementing the exercise methods once a week-15 times total for about 4 months-the changes in Cobb's angle were measured. Results: After having the pediatric scoliosis patients practice the modified scoliosis exercises for four months, it was found that the Cobb's angle of the spine significantly decreased. Conclusion: The results of this study show that the modified pediatric scoliosis exercise, which is capable of promoting proprioception, is also effective in improving Cobb's angle.