Assessing gluteus medius volume with freehand 3DUS: validating a practical imaging tool for complex muscle morphology.

Ali Karimi Azandariani, Megan Gordon, Irene Kaiser, Oluwagbemiga DadeMatthews, Ali Mirjalili, Guillaume Spielmann, Hyun Kyung Kim

Abstract readValidation Study

PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher

In one paragraph

Article in Medical & biological engineering & computing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

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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.

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

Hybrid Neural Network Architecture for Automated Liver and Tumor Segmentation Using Ensemble Learning on CT Images.Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Ali Karimi AzandarianiSchool of Kinesiology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.

Megan GordonSchool of Kinesiology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.

Irene KaiserSchool of Kinesiology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.

Oluwagbemiga DadeMatthewsSchool of Kinesiology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.

Ali MirjaliliAnatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

Guillaume SpielmannSchool of Kinesiology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.

Hyun Kyung KimSchool of Kinesiology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA. hkkim@lsu.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5290-339X

Funding

Louisiana Board of Regents LEQSF(2024-27)-RDA-A-11

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Accurate and accessible imaging techniques are essential for evaluating muscle morphology in both clinical and research settings. This study examined the validity and reliability of freehand three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS) employing a multiple-sweep technique for measuring the volume of complexly shaped muscles such as the gluteus medius (GMed), with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the reference standard. Twelve healthy participants (21.1 ± 1.5 years) underwent both 3DUS and MRI scans. Each GMed was scanned using three overlapping 3DUS sweeps, and two processors independently segmented all 3DUS and MRI images to calculate muscle volume. Agreement between 3DUS and MRI was evaluated using Bland-Altman plots, while intra- and inter-processor reliability for 3DUS were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), coefficients of variation (CV%), typical error (TE), and minimal detectable change (MDC). The mean difference between 3DUS and MRI was minimal, with Bland-Altman plots demonstrating good agreement and no systematic bias. Inter- and intra-processor reliability were excellent (ICC = 0.972 and 0.999, respectively). A subgroup analysis (n = 10) comparing prone and side-lying positions using 3DUS also demonstrated good between-position reliability (ICC = 0.94). Freehand 3DUS with the multiple-sweep technique provides a valid, reliable, and practical alternative to MRI for measuring GMed muscle volume in both clinical and research applications.

Indexed as

Imaging, Three-DimensionalMuscle, SkeletalAdultButtocksFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleReproducibility of ResultsUltrasonographyYoung Adult3D freehand ultrasoundMultiple sweepsMuscle volumeReliabilityValidity

Identifiers

PMID41455050

DOI10.1007/s11517-025-03503-x

PMCPMC13061769

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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.