Inter-Rater Reliability of Ultra Sound Based Rectus Abdominis Thickness Following Blood Flow Restriction Training

NCT07754162 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: REC/MS-PT/02569
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Accurate assessment of skeletal muscle morphology is important in sports physiotherapy, exercise rehabilitation, and research. B-mode ultrasonography is a non-invasive and accessible method for assessing muscle thickness; however, ultrasound-based measurements may be influenced by image acquisition, anatomical landmark identification, and operator-dependent measurement procedures. Establishing inter-rater reliability is therefore essential to determine whether different assessors can obtain consistent measurements of muscle thickness from the same ultrasound images. The rectus abdominis is an important component of the abdominal musculature and contributes to trunk stabilization and functional performance during exercise. Blood flow restriction (BFR) training has gained increasing attention as a low-load exercise strategy for promoting muscular adaptations, although research has predominantly focused on peripheral limb muscles. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the inter-rater reliability of ultrasound-based rectus abdominis muscle thickness measurements following a standardized BFR training protocol using ImageJ software. Establishing reliable measurement of rectus abdominis thickness will provide a methodological basis for future research investigating abdominal muscle morphology and adaptations in sports physiotherapy, exercise rehabilitation, and BFR-based training.

Conditions

Reliability; Ultrasound

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Inter-rater reliability of ultrasound-based rectus abdominis muscle thickness measurement

  Inter-rater reliability between two independent raters in measuring rectus abdominis muscle thickness from B-mode ultrasound images using ImageJ software.

  Baseline (pre-training) and post-training ultrasound images obtained at the completion of the two-week BFR training protocol.

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Inter-rater reliability of ultrasound-based rectus abdominis muscle thickness measurement

  Pre-training and immediately post-training.

Study Arms (2)

Retrospective BFR Cohort

Healthy active male participants who underwent a short-duration blood flow restriction (BFR) training protocol. Pre- and post-training ultrasound images of the rectus abdominis muscle were retrospectively analyzed to assess inter-rater reliability of ultrasound-based muscle thickness measurements.

Group 1

Healthy active male participants assessed before the BFR training program. Baseline B-mode ultrasound images of the rectus abdominis muscle were obtained and used for measurement of muscle thickness.

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 40 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Non Athletes

You may qualify if:

• Recreationally Active

You may not qualify if:

• Known Musculoskeletal injury

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Riphah International University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Faculty of Rehabilitation for Data Collection and Research Work

Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan

RECRUITING

Study Officials

• Saad Rauf, PhD

  Riphah International University, Isra University, Islamabad

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Muhammad Haris, DPT

CONTACT

03437181808; harismughal5154@gmail.com

Dr Saad Rauf, PhD

CONTACT

03325957732

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 5, 2026
• First Posted: August 10, 2026
• Study Start: August 4, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 6, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 20, 2026
• Last Updated: August 10, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)