Abstract
Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in single energy mode has been shown to permit the visualisation of bone and soft tissue, such as the patellar tendon through two-dimensional sagittal imaging. However, there is no validated DXA-based measurement of the Achilles tendon moment arm (dAT). The aims of this study were: 1) to compare in vivo DXA derived measurements of the dAT at rest against two previously validated methods: tendon excursion (TE) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at three ankle angles (-5°, 0° and +10°). 2) analyse the intra-day reliability of the DXA method at all ankle angles and compare between methods. Twelve healthy adults (mean ± SD: 31.4 ± 9.5 years; 174.0 ± 9.5 cm; 76.2 ± 16.6 kg) participated in this study, involving test–retest DXA scans, ultrasound scans and one MRI scan. The dAT was defined as the distance from the centre of the calcaneal-tibial joint axis to the Achilles tendon (AT) muscle–tendon line of action. DXA derived dAT measures were significantly greater than MRI measurements (19.7–24.9%) and were 45.2% significantly larger than the TE method. The test–retest reliability of the DXA technique at 0° was high [CV = 1.38%; ICC = 0.96] and despite the consistently larger dAT lengths obtained using DXA, MRI and DEXA data were strongly correlated (r = 0.878, p < 0.001). In conclusion, the DXA technique allowed for highly reproducible in vivo dAT measurement at rest, which has implications for the calculation of AT forces in vivo and the ability to predict the measurement from one tool to the other, thereby providing a novel basis to contrast existing and future studies.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.