PeerJ
MuscleExpert: a semi-automated tool delivering ImageJ-comparable measurements of muscle thickness, area, and quality
By Li Z, Zhang LQ and Lanza MB.
Abstract
Background
Most image-analysis software programs were not designed specifically for ultrasound-based measurements, resulting in irrelevant general-purpose features that force users to navigate through multiple menus and making the analysis time-consuming and increasing the likelihood of error. The aim of this study was to present and validate the semi-automated MuscleExpert software against the widely used ImageJ by comparing muscle thickness (MT), cross-sectional area (CSA), and muscle quality (MQ-measured as echo intensity).
Methods
Ten volunteers (five males; age: 44.9 ± 23.5 years) participated in this cross-sectional study. Ultrasound images of the tibialis anterior and medial gastrocnemius muscles were acquired using 2D B-mode ultrasonography and analyzed in both software programs. Equivalence of means was evaluated via the two-one-sided tests (TOST) procedure; the reliability between means was quantified by an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC); the precision was expressed as the coefficient of variation (CV) and standard error of measurement (SEM); and agreement was assessed using Bland-Altman plots.
