Abstract
In this study the intra- and inter-observer variability of ultrasound measurements of the diameter of the popliteal artery were tested in a group of patients under surveillance for a small (diameter 10-20 mm), asymptomatic popliteal artery aneurysm (PAA). From a group of patients under ultrasound surveillance for bilateral, asymptomatic PAAs, 13 consecutive patients agreed to participate in the study and provided informed consent. The maximum diameter of the popliteal arteries was assessed by a vascular technologist. The same assessment was repeated by a second vascular technologist, unaware of the results of the first measurement. After a week, this protocol was repeated. The intra- and inter-observer reliability of this measurement was calculated using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland and Altman plots. Of the 10 patients with bilateral and three patients with unilateral PAA, 12 completed the 2 week protocol. A total of 86 measurements were analyzed. The mean diameter of the popliteal arteries was 13.5 ± 3.4 mm. The ICC for the intra-observer reliability of observer 1 was 0.96 (95% CI 0.92-0.99), p < .001 and of observer 2 was 0.98 (95% CI 0.95-0.99), p < .001. The ICC for the inter-observer reliability fo...Continue Reading
References
Oct 27, 1998·European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery : the Official Journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery·S T DuffyG D Shanik
Oct 23, 2002·The British Journal of Surgery·R B Galland, T R Magee
Mar 18, 2004·Radiographics : a Review Publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc·Lonnie B WrightTimothy C McCowan
Mar 8, 2006·Journal of Vascular Surgery·Raffaele PulliCarlo Pratesi
Mar 8, 2006·Journal of Vascular Surgery·Yehuda G WolfLaszlo Zelmanovich
Jul 4, 2007·Journal of Vascular Surgery·Rogier H J KropmanJean-Paul P M de Vries
Feb 4, 2010·European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery : the Official Journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery·R MageeJ Golledge
Mar 29, 2011·European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery : the Official Journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery·T C HartshorneA Nasim
May 4, 2011·European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery : the Official Journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery·A Wanhainen
Aug 24, 2011·The British Journal of Surgery·L BealesD J A Scott
Feb 15, 2013·Annals of Vascular Surgery·Joyce E P VrijenhoekFrans L Moll
Dec 3, 2014·European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery : the Official Journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery·L MeechamA D Pherwani
Jul 4, 2015·European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery : the Official Journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery·M von StummE S Debus