Significant Difference In Shear Wave Velocity Research Articles

Sex-based differences in hamstrings stiffness assessment in football players using ultrasound shear wave elastography.

Hamstring stiffness varies among individuals and can influence athletic performance and injury risk. Sex-based differences in hamstring stiffness among football players have not been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to assess these differences using shear wave elastography (SWE), a non-invasive ultrasound technique that quantifies tissue stiffness. The study recruited 30 football players (15 male, 15 female) in June 2022 during their annual medical check-up. Participants were aged 18-40 years, engaged in regular training, and had no history of lower limb musculoskeletal injury in the six weeks preceding the study. SWE was used to measure shear wave velocity (SWV) in the hamstring muscles: semitendinosus (ST), semimembranosus (SM), and biceps femoris (BF). Independent t-tests were used to compare the SWV values of the hamstring muscles between sexes and between dominant and non-dominant legs. ST muscle had a statistically significant difference in SWV based on gender and leg dominance with marked differences particularly in the non-dominant leg across both genders (P=0.02; Bonferroni corrected P=0.05). SWV for ST in male group was significantly higher than that in female group; the mean elasticity of the male group for dominant and non-dominant leg were 3.8±1.5 and 4.1±1.2 m/s, respectively; and the mean elasticity of the female group for dominant and non-dominant leg were 2.9±0.7 and 2.8±0.7 m/s respectively. In contrast, SWV differences in the SM and BF muscles were not statistically significant(P=0.187 and 0.760, respectively). The study revealed significant sex-based differences in hamstring stiffness among football players, as assessed by SWE. ST muscle stiffness was associated with higher SWV in male group and show stronger correlation with non-dominance leg. These findings can contribute to individualized training programs and injury prevention strategies.

Clinical Applicability of Ultrasound Shear Wave Elastography in Patients under Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation Therapy

Relationship between stiffness of genioglossi (GG) and geniohyoidei (GH) muscles under electric hypoglossal nerve stimulation therapy (HNS) in relation to success of therapy was investigated with additional special focus on tongue movement. Patients and Methods: Clinical and sleep laboratory parameters of a cohort of 18 patients with known shear wave velocity (SWV) data of the ipsilateral and contralateral musculi GG and GH (sGG, sGH and nGG, nGH) before and under HNS therapy were analyzed. The SWV was already determined using the ultrasonic shear wave elastography (US-SWE) technique. Results: Median Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was 8 (IQR 12), median baseline Apnoe–Hypopnoe Index (AHI) 31.65 (IQR 25.1), median AHI under HNS therapy 16.3 (IQR 20.03). Therapy success: 9/18 patients (AHI during therapy < 15/h). There was no significant difference in SWV (sGG, sGH, nGG and nGH) between therapy responders and non-responders during therapy. Also, no difference could be seen with respect to the difference and increase in SWV values without and with stimulation. Examination of SWV values (sGG, sGH, nGG, nGH during stimulation, difference of SWV values stimulation − no stimulation, increase factor of SWV) revealed a significant negative correlation between the AHI under therapy and the measured SWV of the musculus GH of the contralateral side during stimulation (−0.622, p = 0.006). Patients with bilateral protrusion of the tongue differed regarding to therapy success in increase in SWV in sGG (p = 0.032). Tongue protrusion to contralateral: A significant difference between patients with AHI during therapy < 15/h in SWV values at sGG without stimulation (p = 0.021) was seen, with also a correlation to the current AHI under therapy (p = 0.047) and the change factor of the AHI (p = 0.015). Conclusion: Stiffness of the target muscle does not appear to be an isolated measure of the success of HNS therapy. This observation may have implications for future decision-making processes in the process of titrating electrical therapy parameters. But the technique of US-SWE may be useful for future research of the neurophysiology of the tongue and OSA phenotyping.

A Comparison of Shear Wave Elastography between Normal Myometrium, Uterine Fibroids, and Adenomyosis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundThe differential diagnosis between uterine fibroid and adenomyosis is sometimes difficult; a precise diagnosis is required in women with infertility because of the different choice of treatments. Ultrasound elastography (UE) is a novel technique to evaluate the elasticity or the stiffness of the tissue of interest. The present study aims to compare UE shear wave velocity (SWV) among normal uterine myometrium, uterine fibroid, and adenomyosis, and assess the accuracy of shear wave elastography in the diagnosis of adenomyosis.Materials and MethodsThis cross-sectional study recruited 25 subjects for each group (control, adenomyosis, and fibroid) from April 2019 to April 2020. Transvaginal UE using an Aplio 500 (Toshiba Medical Systems, Japan) with ultrasound mapping for point of tissue biopsy was performed for all subjects. The diagnosis was confirmed by histology. Masson’s trichrome staining for collagen was performed and quantifiedResultsThe mean ± standard deviation (SD) for SWV was 3.44 ± 0.95 m/seconds (control group), 4.63 ± 1.45 m/seconds (adenomyosis group), and 4.53 ± 1.07 m/seconds (fibroid group). The mean SWV differed when comparing normal myometrium and adenomyosis after adjustments for age and endometrial pathology (P=0.019). The cut-off point of SWV at 3.465 m/seconds could differentiate adenomyosis from the normal uterus with an 80% sensitivity, 80% specificity, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.68-0.93) (P<0.001). No significant difference in SWV between the adenomyosis and fibroid groups was detected.ConclusionShear wave elastography could be an alternative tool to distinguish between normal myometrium and adenomyosis; however, it could not differentiate adenomyosis from uterine fibroid or uterine fibroid from normal myometrium.

Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging of pancreas in patients with early onset idiopathic recurrent acute pancreatitis.

Patients with recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP) may progress to chronic pancreatitis (CP). A critical step in this progression is the development of fibrosis. Elastography has been used to assess degree of fibrosis by measurement of shear wave velocity (SWV). The aim of this study was to measure the stiffness of pancreas as a surrogate for pancreatic fibrosis in patients with RAP and compare it with a group of individuals without any history of pancreatic disorders. Using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging SWV was calculated in 31 patients with idiopathic RAP having disease onset ≤30 years. A control group of 31 individuals with no history pancreatic disorder and no features of CP on endosonography was selected for comparison. ARFI imaging was done by a single radiologist who was blinded to the cases and controls RESULTS:: Mean age of patients with RAP was 24.8 (SD 9.86) years, disease duration was 3.45 (interquartile range 1-5) years, mean number of episodes 4.9 (SD 2.72). There was a significant difference in SWV between patients (1.27 ± 0.50 m/s) and controls (1.00 ± 0.17 m/s) (P = 0.001)). There was a positive correlation between SWV and number of pain episodes (P = 0.026) and negative correlation with BMI (P = 0.002). SWV was high in patients with RAP indicating a stiff pancreas. The stiffness increases with the number of episodes of pancreatitis.

Ultrasound shear wave elastography in assessment of skeletal muscle stiffness in senior volunteers

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate the reliability of ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) to assess biceps brachii muscle (BBM) and quadriceps muscle (QM) stiffness in senior volunteers.Methods: Using a linear array ultrasound transducer (7 MHz), we prospectively measured shear wave velocity (SWV) of BBM and QM in passive joints (elbow and knee) flexion (90°) and extension (180°) in 19 senior volunteers by two operators. We developed SWV rate (SWVelbow-extension – SWVelbow-flexion)/SWVelbow-flexion to assess BBM contractibility. Statistical analysis included unpaired t-test to examine the difference in SWV of muscle between left vs right limbs, men vs women, and athletes vs nonathletes; Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and violin plots for analyzing intra- and inter-observer reliability in performing SWE in muscles.Results: There was no significant difference in SWV between left vs right (flexion or extension), male vs female (flexion or extension), for BBM and QM, and athlete vs nonathlete extension for QM (all p > 0.05). The difference in SWV of BBM in elbow extension and in SWV rate between athlete and nonathlete was significant (p < 0.05). The difference in muscle SWV between joint flexion and extension was also significant (p < 0.05). Reliability in performing SWE of BBM and QM was good (ICC > 0.75).Conclusions: Our results suggest that ultrasound SWE is feasible in estimating BBM and QM stiffness in seniors with good reproducibility. SWV rate and SWV of the extended BBM representing muscle contractibility in athlete were higher than in nonathlete.

Patchy echogenicity of the liver in patients with chronic hepatitis B does not indicate poorer elasticity.

PurposeThis study was conducted to investigate whether the presence of patchy echogenicity in the liver of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is predictive of liver stiffness.MethodsA total of 200 CHB patients with and without patchy echogenicity of the liver were assigned to two groups, with 100 patients in each group, and 32 of them underwent liver biopsy. Additionally, 80 healthy subjects, 100 inactive HBV carriers, and 100 patients with decompensated hepatic cirrhosis were assigned to the control groups. Laboratory tests and clinical data were collected, and shear wave velocity (SWV) of the liver was measured for all 480 subjects.ResultsThe median SWV in patients with a normal liver, inactive hepatitis B virus carriers, CHB patients with and without patchy echogenicity, and decompensated hepatic cirrhosis were 1.07 m/sec, 1.08 m/sec, 1.16 m/sec, 1.16 m/sec, and 2.02 m/sec, respectively; there was no significant difference in SWV values between CHB patients with patchy echogenicity and those without patchy echogenicity. Furthermore, among CHB patients with and without patchy echogenicity, no significant difference in SWV was found according to fibrosis stage.ConclusionThe presence of patchy echogenicity of the liver does not indicate a higher degree of liver stiffness.

Muscle material properties in passive and active stroke-impaired muscle

Stroke survivors routinely experience long-term motor and sensory impairments. In parallel with neurological changes, material properties of muscles in the impaired limbs, such as muscle stiffness, may also change progressively. However, these stiffness measures are routinely derived from individual joint stiffness, representing whole muscle groups. Here, we use shear wave (SW) ultrasound elastography to measure SW velocity, as a surrogate measure of stiffness, to quantify material properties in individual muscles. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to compare muscle material properties of the bicep brachii in stroke survivors and in age-matched control subjects by measuring SW velocity at rest and different voluntary activation levels. Our main findings show that at rest, the SW velocity was on average 41% greater in the paretic muscle compared the contralateral non-paretic muscle. The mean passive SW velocity across all subjects were 2.34 ± 0.41 m/s for the non-paretic side, 3.30 ± 1.20 m/s for the paretic side, and 2.24 ± 0.18 for controls. SW velocity was significantly different in muscles of the paretic and non-paretic side (p < 0.001), but not between muscles of the non-paretic and controls (p = 0.47). As voluntary activation increased, SW velocity increased non-linearly, with an average power fit of r2 = 0.83 ± 0.09 for the non-paretic side, r2 = 0.61 ± 0.24 for the paretic side, and r2 = 0.24 ± 0.15 for the healthy age-matched controls. In active muscle (10, 25, 50, 75, 100% maximum voluntary contraction), there was no significant difference in SW velocity between the non-paretic, paretic, and control muscles.These findings suggest that stroke-impaired muscles have potentially altered muscle material properties, specifically stiffness, and that passive and active stiffness may contribute differently to total muscle stiffness.