• Ahmet Aslan, Ahmet Aktan, Mine Aslan, Yıldız Gülseren, and Adnan Kabaalioğlu.
• Department of Radiology, Medical School of Istanbul Medeniyet University, Istanbul, Turkey.
• J Ultrasound Med. 2018 Oct 1; 37 (10): 2353-2362.

ObjectivesTo determine the sonoelastographic findings for the normal brachial plexus via shear wave elastography (SWE) and strain elastography (SE) and the reliability of the measurements.MethodsThirty-nine healthy adult volunteers were included in the study. The brachial plexus was evaluated with SWE and SE at the interscalene region by 2 observers separately, and the observers were unaware of each other's outcomes. The elastic modulus (kilopascals), shear wave velocity (SWV, meters per second), and strain ratio were obtained. Elasticity patterns on SE were assessed as hard, intermediate, and soft. An intraclass correlation coefficient analysis was performed for determining the reliability of sonoelastographic findings. The correlation of sonoelastographic features with age and sex was investigated.ResultsThe volunteers included 13 men and 26 women. The mean age of the participants ± SD was 36.2 ± 7.8 (range, 25-56) years. The mean elasticity modulus values of the brachial plexus for observers 1 and 2 were 17.03 (95% confidence interval [CI], 15.03, 19.03) and 13.83 (95% CI, 12.23, 15.43) kPa, respectively; the SWVs were 2.24 (95% CI, 2.12, 2.36) and 2.04 (95% CI, 1.93, 2.15) m/s; and the strain ratios were 1.20 (95% CI, 1.18, 1.25) 1.38 (95% CI, 1.22, 1.54). The elasticity pattern was mostly intermediate stiffness for both observers (n = 72 [92.3%]; n = 75 [96.1%]). The intraclass correlation coefficient was poor to moderate and statistically significant for the elastic modulus, SWV, and elasticity pattern (P < .05 for all parameters). The sonoelastographic characteristics of the brachial plexus had no correlation with age or sex.ConclusionsThe reliability and reproducibility of sonoelastography of the brachial plexus are low, and the appropriateness of this technique in this manner is controversial.© 2018 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

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