Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40500535›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of applied physiology2025

Can measurement errors explain variance in the relationship between muscle- and tendon stiffness and range of motion?-a blinded reliability and objectivity study.

Konstantin Warneke, Julia Meder, Gerit Plöschberger, Manuel Oraže, Maximilian Zechner, Daniel Jochum, Stanislav D Siegel, Andreas Konrad

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In one paragraph

Article in European journal of applied physiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07477678 (Red Light Therapy), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07477678 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Red Light Therapy: a Potential Strategy to Reduce Sports Injury Risk?

TypeinterventionalSponsorCláudio da Silva FerreiraRan2026 to 2026Enrolled40ConditionsAnkle DorsiflexionArmsNear-infrared photobiomodulation, Cycling Warm-up
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Konstantin WarnekeInstitute of Human Movement Science, Sport and Health, University of Graz, Mozartgasse 14, 8010, Graz, Austria. Konstantin.warneke@uni-graz.at.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4964-2867
Julia MederInstitute of Human Movement Science, Sport and Health, University of Graz, Mozartgasse 14, 8010, Graz, Austria.
Gerit PlöschbergerInstitute of Human Movement Science, Sport and Health, University of Graz, Mozartgasse 14, 8010, Graz, Austria.
Manuel OražeViktor Frankl Hochschule, Pädagogische Hochschule Kärnten, Klagenfurt Am Wörthersee, Austria.
Maximilian ZechnerInstitute of Human Movement Science, Sport and Health, University of Graz, Mozartgasse 14, 8010, Graz, Austria.
Daniel JochumDepartment of Health Science and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Stanislav D SiegelDepartment of Human Movement Science and Exercise Physiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
Andreas KonradInstitute of Human Movement Science, Sport and Health, University of Graz, Mozartgasse 14, 8010, Graz, Austria.

Funding

Austrian Science Fund 10.55776/PAT1223723
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe relationship between range of motion (ROM) and underlying parameters such as stiffness (ST) remains controversial throughout the literature. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the potential role of accumulated measurement errors and subjective influences through a comprehensive assessment of both systematic and random errors on the correlation between tissue ST and ROM.

methodsA total of 75 subjects participated in this double-blinded reliability evaluation. Besides muscle thickness assessments, lower legs' ST in the calf muscle and Achilles tendon (shear-wave elastography [SWE] and viscoelastic parameters [MyotonPRO], respectively) were correlated with ankle dorsiflexion ROM (knee-to-wall test [KtW]).

resultsUltrasound image acquisition (i.e., muscle thickness and ST) and myotonometry showed intrasession reliability (ICC = 0.93-0.99 and 0.72-0.99, respectively) depending on the device. Only for MyotonPRO, there were meaningful systematic and random errors only for decrement (SEM = 0.002-10.629; MAE = 0.01-24.84). ROM showed ICC > 0.99, while for all parameters interday reliability declined (ICC = 0.395-0.88). Interrater objectivity showed ICC = 0.61-0.91 for ultrasound analysis and 0.66-0.96 for myotonometry. No agreement (ICC = 0-0.09) between different ST measurements was observed, while relationship between ST and ROM depended on the investigator (r = 0.21-0.26 versus r = - 0.02--0.07). DISCUSSION: While aligned with reliability and objectivity metrics from the literature, our results demonstrate that ST determination is device-dependent, and its relationship with ROM varies by measurement day and investigator. This underlines clinically relevant measurement errors in ST evaluation, calling for advance standardization to improve reliability and objectivity, while measurement errors quantified beyond the ICC must not be neglected in future studies.

Indexed as

Achilles TendonMuscle, SkeletalRange of Motion, ArticularAdultElasticity Imaging TechniquesFemaleHumansMaleReproducibility of ResultsUltrasonographyBland-Altman analysisInterday reliabilityMyotonometryRange of motionShear-wave elastography

Identifiers

PMID40500535
PMCPMC12423194

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.