Intersession intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of myotonometer for upper and lower extremity muscles in children with spinal muscular atrophy

Abstract

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to examine intra- and inter-rater reliability of a myotonometer (MyotonPRO) in measuring upper and lower extremity mechanical properties in children with spinal muscular atrophy types I and II. Methods: Biceps brachii, triceps brachii, rectus femoris, and gastrocnemius muscle tone and stiffness in children (n = 21) were measured using the MyotonPRO device. Examiner 1 performed two sets of measurements in 60 min to determine intra-rater reliability. Examiner 2 performed measurements between Examiner 1’s sets. Intra–interclass correlation coefficient, minimal detectable change, and standard error of measurement values were calculated to assess intra- and inter-rater reliabilities in this cross-sectional study. Results: The results showed excellent intra- and inter-rater reliability analyses for frequency and stiffness values except for the stiffness value of the gastrocnemius muscle, which presented good reliability (ICC = 0.71). Minimal detectable change values ranged from 0.59 to 1.98 Hz for muscle tone and 16.08 to 124.74 N/m for stiffness (for both intra- and inter-rater reliabilities). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that MyotonPRO is a reliable tool for quantifying upper and lower extremity mechanical properties within one session in children with spinal muscular atrophy types I and II. Mechanical properties of the extremity muscle can be determined using this easily applied tool in future studies.