Measurement of hyoid and laryngeal displacement in video fluoroscopic swallowing studies: Variability, reliability, and measurement error

Video fluoroscopy is commonly used in the study of swallowing kinematics. However, various procedures used in linear measurements obtained from video fluoroscopy may contribute to increased variability or measurement error. This study evaluated the influence of calibration referent and image rotation on measurement variability for hyoid and laryngeal displacement during swallowing. Inter- and intrarater reliabilities were also estimated for hyoid and laryngeal displacement measurements across conditions. The use of different calibration referents did not contribute significantly to variability in measures of hyoid and laryngeal displacement but image rotation affected horizontal measures for both structures. Inter- and intrarater reliabilities were high. Using the 95% confidence interval as the error index, measurement error was estimated to range from 2.48 to 3.06 mm. These results address procedural decisions for measuring hyoid and laryngeal displacement in video fluoroscopic swallowing studies.