Name: Video: Doppler Ultrasound Scan and Blood Flow Quantitation in Leg-Extension Exercises
Uploaded: 2023-12-15T13:50:00
Description: 532 Views. Doppler Ultrasound Scan and Blood Flow Quantitation in Leg-Extension Exercises

doppler ultrasound scan and blood flow quantitation in leg-extension exercises

Assessing Leg Blood Flow in Training Workloads

Doppler ultrasound, introduced in the 1980s, has been extensively used to determine contracting muscle blood flow, particularly in the single-leg knee-extensor model, allowing measurement of blood flow in the common femoral artery (CFA) during small muscle mass activation1,2,3,4,5,6. Doppler ultrasound-based blood flow technology has provided valuable insights into vascular regulation in various populations, including healthy adults7,8, individuals with diabetes9, hypertension10, COPD11,12, and heart failure13,14.
One advantage of Doppler ultrasound is its non-invasiveness compared to other blood flow determination methods like thermodilution, and it can be combined with arterial and venous catheterization if necessary3,4,6,15. It also enables beat-to-beat blood flow velocity measurement, allowing for the detection of rapid changes16. However, Doppler ultrasound-based blood measurements have limitations, including difficulties in obtaining stable recordings during excessive limb movement at near-maximal exercise intensities and the requirement for ultrasound accessibility to the targeted blood vessel, excluding evaluations during ergometer bicycling15. Hence, the single-leg knee-extensor model is well-suited for LBF evaluation using Doppler ultrasound during dynamic exercise at submaximal intensities17, minimizing the influence of exercise-related heart and lung limitations and facilitating comparisons between healthy subjects and patients with cardio-pulmonary diseases11.
Despite being widely used, the between-day reliability of the single-leg knee-extensor model using Doppler ultrasound has not been investigated on a larger scale in recent decades, with prior studies involving small populations (n = 2)3,18,19,20.
This study aimed to investigate (1) the within-day test-retest reliability, (2) the between-day test-retest reliability, and (3) the inter-rater reliability of Doppler ultrasound for LBF evaluation during single-leg knee-extensor exercise at 0 W, 6 W, 12 W, and 18 W. The measurements were conducted in a clinically realistic scenario where the probe was removed between measurements. It is important to note that several intrinsic and extrinsic environmental factors known to influence LBF were not controlled during the measurements, which could introduce variability and affect reliability. Considering advancements in Doppler ultrasound technology and blood flow analysis software, we hypothesized that, even in an uncontrolled setting, acceptable within- and between-day reliability of LBF measurements could be achieved at all intensities when performed by the same sonographer.

Author Spotlight: Assessing the Reliability of Doppler Ultrasound in Measuring Leg Blood Flow 

Doppler Ultrasound-Based Leg Blood Flow Assessment During Single-Leg Knee-Extensor Exercise in an Uncontrolled Setting

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532 Views. Doppler Ultrasound Scan and Blood Flow Quantitation in Leg-Extension Exercises

Video: Doppler Ultrasound Scan and Blood Flow Quantitation in Leg-Extension Exercises  

Doppler ultrasound has revolutionized the assessment of organ blood flow and is widely used in research and clinical settings. While Doppler ultrasound-based assessment of contracting leg muscle blood flow is common in human studies, the reliability of this method requires further investigation. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the within-day test-retest, between-day test-retest, and inter-rater reliability of Doppler ultrasound for assessing leg blood flow during rest and graded single-leg knee-extensions (0 W, 6 W, 12 W, and 18 W), with the ultrasound probe being removed between measurements. The study included thirty healthy subjects (age: 33 &#177; 9.3, male/female: 14/16) who visited the laboratory on two different experimental days separated by 10 days. The study did not control for major confounders such as nutritional state, time of day, or hormonal status. Across different exercise intensities, the results demonstrated high within-day reliability with a coefficient of variation (CV) ranging from 4.0% to 4.3%, acceptable between-day reliability with a CV ranging from 10.1% to 20.2%, and inter-rater reliability with a CV ranging from 17.9% to 26.8%. Therefore, in a real-life clinical scenario where controlling various environmental factors is challenging, Doppler ultrasound can be used to determine leg blood flow during submaximal single-leg knee-extensor exercise with high within-day reliability and acceptable between-day reliability when performed by the same sonographer.

This test-retest study evaluated leg blood flow measured by the Doppler ultrasound technique during single-leg knee-extensor exercise. The within-day, between-day, and inter-rater reliability of the method was investigated. The approach demonstrated high within-day and acceptable between-day reliability. However, the inter-rater reliability was unacceptably low during rest and at low workloads.