Reliability of Ultrasound Measurements of the Median Nerve in Asymptomatic Subjects Using a Handheld Device

• Published in: Sensors Vol. 24; no. 11; p. 3444
• Main Authors: Alfuraih, Abdulrahman M., Aldahlawi, Rana Hussain, Habib, Yomna S., Alhowimel, Ahmed S., Bedewi, Mohamed Abdelmohsen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 27.05.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Adult; Agreements; Asymptomatic; Carpal tunnel syndrome; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - diagnostic imaging; Chemical technology; Communication; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; handheld ultrasound; Humans; inter-operator reproducibility; intra-operator reproducibility; Male; Measurement techniques; median nerve; Median Nerve - diagnostic imaging; Medical imaging equipment; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Reproducibility; Reproducibility of Results; TP1-1185; Ultrasonic imaging; Ultrasonography - methods; ultrasound reliability; Wrist; Saudi Arabia; United States > US; median nerve; handheld ultrasound; carpal tunnel syndrome; inter-operator reproducibility; point-of-care ultrasound; diagnostic imaging; ultrasound reliability; intra-operator reproducibility
• ISSN: 1424-8220; 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s24113444

This study investigated the reliability of measuring the median nerve cross-sectional area (CSA) at the carpal tunnel inlet using a handheld ultrasound device (HUD) compared to a standard ultrasound system, focusing on intra- and inter-operator reproducibility among novice and expert operators. Employing a prospective cross-sectional design, 37 asymptomatic adults were assessed using both devices, with measurements taken by an expert with over five years of experience and a novice with less than six months. The CSA was determined using manual tracing and ellipse methods, with reproducibility evaluated through intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and agreement assessed via Bland–Altman plots. Results showed a high degree of agreement between the devices, with excellent intra-operator reproducibility (ICC > 0.80) for the expert, and moderate reproducibility for the novice (ICCs ranging from 0.539 to 0.841). Inter-operator reliability was generally moderate, indicating acceptable consistency across different experience levels. The study concludes that HUDs are comparable to standard ultrasound systems for assessing median nerve CSA in asymptomatic subjects, with both devices providing reliable measurements. This supports the use of HUDs in diverse clinical environments, particularly where access to traditional ultrasound is limited. Further research with a larger sample and symptomatic patients is recommended to validate these findings.