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Table 2 Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity based on frequency of the transducer head

From: The diagnostic validity of musculoskeletal ultrasound in lateral epicondylalgia: a systematic review

 

High frequency

Low frequency

MSUS findings

N

Sns,p-value,I2

N

SnS, p-value,I2

SpC, p-value,I2

SpC, p-value,I2

Hypoechogenicity

2 [17, 28]

0.35(0.22-0.50), 0.0001,93

5 [25, 29, 30, 33]

0.71(0.63-0.77),0.0009,79

NA

NA

Calcifications

3 [17, 27, 28]

0.26(0.22-0.32),0.0001,89

4 [25, 29, 30, 35]

0.11(0.07-0.16),0.0081,75

NA

NA

Neovascularity

3 [17, 27, 31]

0.28(0.23-0.24),<0.00001,97

3 [29, 30, 34]

0.40(0.31-0.49),<0.0001,99

100(98–100),0.25,28

NA

Thickness

4 [17, 27, 28, 31]

0.53(0.49-0.57),<0.0001,93

3 [30, 33, 36]

0.27(0.21-0.33),0.0003,81

NA

NA

Enthesopathy

1 [17]

0.64(0.24-0.91)

3 [25, 35, 36]

0.31(0.23-0.39),<0.0001,96

NA

NA

Bone changes (cortical irregularities or bone spurs)

2 [27, 31]

0.56(0.50-0.62),0.41,0

0

NA

NA

NA

Cortical irregularities

1 [28]

0.18(0.08-0.31)

1 [30]

0.22(0.13-0.34)

NA

NA

Cortical spurs

0

NA

2 [30, 33]

0.13(0.07-0.21),0.03,78

NA

NA

Partial tear

1 [17]

0.38(0.09-0.76)

2 [30, 35]

0.06(0.02-0.11),0.10, 62

NA

NA

Full tear

0

NA

2 [30, 35]

0.02(0.00-0.06),0.14,55

NA

NA

  1. Key: I2, Inconsistency-square test for homogeneity; MSUS, musculoskeletal ultrasound; N, number; NA, not applicable; SnS, sensitivity; SpC, specificity.