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Erschienen in: Skeletal Radiology 1/2014

01.01.2014 | Review Article

“Soft, hard, or just right?” Applications and limitations of axial-strain sonoelastography and shear-wave elastography in the assessment of tendon injuries

verfasst von: C. C. Ooi, P. Malliaras, M. E. Schneider, D. A. Connell

Erschienen in: Skeletal Radiology | Ausgabe 1/2014

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Abstract

Injury to a tendon leads to alterations in the mechanical properties of the tendon. Axial-strain sonoelastography and shear-wave elastography are relatively new, real-time imaging techniques that evaluate the mechanical properties of tendons in addition to the existing morphological and vascular information that is obtained with traditional imaging tools. Axial-strain sonoelastography displays the subjective distribution of strain data on an elastogram caused by tissue compression, whereas shear-wave elastography provides a more objective, quantitative measure of the intrinsic tissue elasticity using the acoustic push-pulse. Recent studies suggest that axial-strain sonoelastography is able to distinguish between asymptomatic and diseased tendons, and is potentially more sensitive than conventional ultrasound in detecting early tendinopathy. Shear-wave elastography seems to be a feasible tool for depicting elasticity and functional recovery of tendons after surgical management. While initial results have been promising, axial-strain sonoelastography and shear-wave elastography have not yet found routine use in wider clinical practice. Possible barriers to the dissemination of axial-strain sonoelastography technique include operator dependency, technical limitations such as artefacts and lack of reproducibility and quantification of sonoelastography data. Shear-wave elastography may improve the reproducibility of elastography data, although there is only one published study on the topic to date. Large-scale longitudinal studies are needed to further elucidate the clinical relevance and potential applications of axial-strain sonoelastography and shear-wave elastography in diagnosing, predicting, and monitoring the progress of tendon healing before they can be widely adopted into routine clinical practice.
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Metadaten
Titel
“Soft, hard, or just right?” Applications and limitations of axial-strain sonoelastography and shear-wave elastography in the assessment of tendon injuries
verfasst von
C. C. Ooi
P. Malliaras
M. E. Schneider
D. A. Connell
Publikationsdatum
01.01.2014
Verlag
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Erschienen in
Skeletal Radiology / Ausgabe 1/2014
Print ISSN: 0364-2348
Elektronische ISSN: 1432-2161
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-013-1695-3

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