Class

Article

College

Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services

Faculty Mentor

Dale Wagner

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Abstract

With lower cost devices and technological advancements, ultrasound has been undergoing a resurgence as a method to measure subcutaneous adipose tissue. Amplitude (A-mode) ultrasound produces a spike at the interface between subcutaneous fat and muscle, while brightness (B-mode) ultrasound produces an image of the underlying tissues. Purpose: This study aimed to determine if a low-cost, low-resolution A-mode ultrasound designed specifically for body composition assessment could produce subcutaneous fat thickness measurements comparable to an expensive, high-resolution B-mode device. Methods: Subcutaneous fat thickness was measured on 41 participants (21 female, 20 male; 29.6 ± 11.0 y; BMI 25.3 ± 5.1 kg/m2) at 7 different sites (chest, subscapula, mid-axilla, triceps, abdomen, suprailiac, and thigh) with two different devices: a 2.5 MHz A-mode ultrasound (BodyMetrix BX 2000), and a 12 MHz B-mode ultrasound (GE NextGen LOGIQ e R7). Results: Pearson correlation coefficients between the two ultrasound devices exceeded 0.80 (P < 0.001) at all measurement sites. Mean differences in fat thickness were not significantly different between the devices (P > 0.05) with the exception of the triceps site (P = 0.021); however, the mean difference at this site (0.53 mm) was not clinically relevant. The variability between devices was greatest at the abdomen, the site with the greatest thicknesses. However, Bland-Altman plots revealed no systematic bias between devices at any site. Conclusions: Given the strong relationships, insignificant mean differences, and lack of systematic bias, the low-cost, low-resolution A-mode ultrasound provides subcutaneous fat thickness measurements similar to the more expensive, high-resolution B-mode ultrasound.

Location

The South Atrium

Start Date

4-12-2018 3:00 PM

End Date

4-12-2018 4:15 PM

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Apr 12th, 3:00 PM Apr 12th, 4:15 PM

Comparison of A-mode and B-mode Ultrasound for Measurement of Subcutaneous Fat

The South Atrium

With lower cost devices and technological advancements, ultrasound has been undergoing a resurgence as a method to measure subcutaneous adipose tissue. Amplitude (A-mode) ultrasound produces a spike at the interface between subcutaneous fat and muscle, while brightness (B-mode) ultrasound produces an image of the underlying tissues. Purpose: This study aimed to determine if a low-cost, low-resolution A-mode ultrasound designed specifically for body composition assessment could produce subcutaneous fat thickness measurements comparable to an expensive, high-resolution B-mode device. Methods: Subcutaneous fat thickness was measured on 41 participants (21 female, 20 male; 29.6 ± 11.0 y; BMI 25.3 ± 5.1 kg/m2) at 7 different sites (chest, subscapula, mid-axilla, triceps, abdomen, suprailiac, and thigh) with two different devices: a 2.5 MHz A-mode ultrasound (BodyMetrix BX 2000), and a 12 MHz B-mode ultrasound (GE NextGen LOGIQ e R7). Results: Pearson correlation coefficients between the two ultrasound devices exceeded 0.80 (P < 0.001) at all measurement sites. Mean differences in fat thickness were not significantly different between the devices (P > 0.05) with the exception of the triceps site (P = 0.021); however, the mean difference at this site (0.53 mm) was not clinically relevant. The variability between devices was greatest at the abdomen, the site with the greatest thicknesses. However, Bland-Altman plots revealed no systematic bias between devices at any site. Conclusions: Given the strong relationships, insignificant mean differences, and lack of systematic bias, the low-cost, low-resolution A-mode ultrasound provides subcutaneous fat thickness measurements similar to the more expensive, high-resolution B-mode ultrasound.