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Achilles Tendon Stiffness: Influence of Measurement Methodology.
- Source :
-
Ultrasound in medicine & biology [Ultrasound Med Biol] 2024 Oct; Vol. 50 (10), pp. 1522-1529. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jul 29. - Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Objective: Mechanical stiffness derived from force-elongation curves is fundamentally different from shear wave (SW) elastography-based tissue properties. We compared these techniques, with a total of five methods of assessing Achilles tendon (AT) stiffness.<br />Methods: Seventeen participants (12 male and 5 female) with unilateral AT rupture performed submaximal contractions at 30% and 10% maximal isometric contraction torque of the un-injured limb. SW velocity was acquired at rest. Force-elongation curves were assessed from the free AT and the medial gastrocnemius (MG) tendon. Mechanical stiffness was determined near the end of the linear region of the force-elongation curve and from the toe region. Bivariate correlations between mechanical stiffness and SW velocity, as well as pairwise t-tests between limbs, were computed.<br />Results: In the injured limb, SW velocity correlated with MG tendon and free AT toe-region stiffness during 10% (r = 0.59, p = 0.020 and r = 0.60, p = 0.011, respectively) and 30% of submaximal contractions (r = 0.56, p = 0.018 and r = 0.67, p = 0.004, respectively). The un-injured limb showed no associations. In both limbs pooled together, SW velocity correlated with MG tendon toe-region stiffness in 30% of submaximal contractions (r = 0.43, p = 0.012). Free tendon mechanical stiffness was lower in the injured limb, with a mean difference of 148.5 Nmm⁻¹ (95% CI: 35.6-261.3, p = 0.013), while SW velocity was higher in the injured limb (1.67 m × s⁻¹, 95% CI; -2.4 to -0.9, p < 0.001).<br />Conclusion: SW elastography may reflect AT viscoelastic properties at the initial slope of the force-length curve with strains <1% but cannot offer insight into AT mechanics at higher loads. Extended toe regions in the injured limb could have caused the association between mechanical stiffness and SW-based stiffness.<br />Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare no competing interests.<br /> (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Subjects :
- Humans
Male
Female
Adult
Reproducibility of Results
Isometric Contraction physiology
Young Adult
Tendon Injuries diagnostic imaging
Tendon Injuries physiopathology
Rupture physiopathology
Achilles Tendon diagnostic imaging
Achilles Tendon physiology
Achilles Tendon physiopathology
Elasticity Imaging Techniques methods
Elastic Modulus
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1879-291X
- Volume :
- 50
- Issue :
- 10
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Ultrasound in medicine & biology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 39079832
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.06.005