<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec id="j_jou.2016.0025_s_001"><h3>Background</h3><p>Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound of the shoulder is characterized by a comparable accuracy to two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound. No studies investigating 2D versus 3D inter-rater reliability in the detection of supraspinatus tendon tears taking into account the level of experience of the raters have been carried out so far.</p></sec><sec id="j_jou.2016.0025_s_002"><h3>Objectives</h3><p>The aim of this study was to determine the inter-rater reliability in the analysis of 3D ultrasound image sets of the supraspinatus tendon between sonographer with different levels of experience.</p></sec><sec id="j_jou.2016.0025_s_003"><h3>Patients and methods</h3><p>Non-interventional, prospective, observational pilot study of 2309 images of 127 adult patients suffering from unilateral shoulder pain. 3D ultrasound image sets were scored by three raters independently. The intra-and interrater reliabilities were calculated.</p></sec><sec id="j_jou.2016.0025_s_004"><h3>Results</h3><p>There was an excellent intra-rater reliability of rater A in the overall classification of supraspinatus tendon tears (2D <italic>vs</italic> 3D κ = 0.892, pairwise reliability 93.81%, 3D scoring round 1 <italic>vs</italic> 3D scoring round 2 κ = 0.875, pairwise reliability 92.857%). The inter-rater reliability was only moderate compared to rater B on 3D (κ = 0.497, pairwise reliability 70.95%) and fair compared to rater C (κ = 0.238, pairwise reliability 42.38%).</p></sec><sec id="j_jou.2016.0025_s_005"><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The reliability of 3D ultrasound of the supraspinatus tendon depends on the level of experience of the sonographer. Experience in 2D ultrasound does not seem to be sufficient for the analysis of 3D ultrasound imaging sets. Therefore, for a 3D ultrasound analysis new diagnostic criteria have to be established and taught even to experienced 2D sonographers to improve reproducibility.</p></sec></abstract>

BackgroundThree-dimensional (3D) ultrasound of the shoulder is characterized by a comparable accuracy to two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound. No studies investigating 2D versus 3D inter-rater reliability in the detection of supraspinatus tendon tears taking into account the level of experience of the raters have been carried out so far.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine the inter-rater reliability in the analysis of 3D ultrasound image sets of the supraspinatus tendon between sonographer with different levels of experience.Patients and methodsNon-interventional, prospective, observational pilot study of 2309 images of 127 adult patients suffering from unilateral shoulder pain. 3D ultrasound image sets were scored by three raters independently. The intra-and interrater reliabilities were calculated.ResultsThere was an excellent intra-rater reliability of rater A in the overall classification of supraspinatus tendon tears (2D vs 3D κ = 0.892, pairwise reliability 93.81%, 3D scoring round 1 vs 3D scoring round 2 κ = 0.875, pairwise reliability 92.857%). The inter-rater reliability was only moderate compared to rater B on 3D (κ = 0.497, pairwise reliability 70.95%) and fair compared to rater C (κ = 0.238, pairwise reliability 42.38%).ConclusionsThe reliability of 3D ultrasound of the supraspinatus tendon depends on the level of experience of the sonographer. Experience in 2D ultrasound does not seem to be sufficient for the analysis of 3D ultrasound imaging sets. Therefore, for a 3D ultrasound analysis new diagnostic criteria have to be established and taught even to experienced 2D sonographers to improve reproducibility.

Inter-rater reliability in the classification of supraspinatus tendon tears using 3D ultrasound – a question of experience?

Journal of Ultrasonography

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Public License.

BackgroundThree-dimensional (3D) ultrasound of the shoulder is characterized by a comparable accuracy to two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound. No studies...

Inter-rater reliability in the classification of supraspinatus tendon tears using 3D ultrasound – a question of experience?

Published Online: Sep 07, 2016

Page range: 252 - 259

Received: Nov 19, 2015

Accepted: Apr 06, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15557/jou.2016.0025

Keywords
ultrasound, inter-rater reliability, shoulder rotator cuff, 3D ultrasound, reproducibility

© 2016 Giorgio Tamborrini et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Public License.

Inter-rater reliability in the classification of supraspinatus tendon tears using 3D ultrasound – a question of experience?

Published Online: Sep 07, 2016

Page range: 252 - 259

Received: Nov 19, 2015

Accepted: Apr 06, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15557/jou.2016.0025

Keywordsultrasound, inter-rater reliability, shoulder rotator cuff, 3D ultrasound, reproducibility

© 2016 Giorgio Tamborrini et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Public License.

Keywords
ultrasound, inter-rater reliability, shoulder rotator cuff, 3D ultrasound, reproducibility