Skeletal Muscle Assessment Using Quantitative Ultrasound: A Narrative Review
Ultrasound (US) is an important imaging tool for skeletal muscle analysis. The advantages of US include point-of-care access, real-time imaging, cost-effectiveness, and absence of ionizing radiation. However, US can be highly dependent on the operator and/or US system, and a portion of the potential...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-05-01
|
| Series: | Sensors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/10/4763 |
| _version_ | 1827740114366758912 |
|---|---|
| author | Aria Ashir Saeed Jerban Victor Barrère Yuanshan Wu Sameer B. Shah Michael P. Andre Eric Y. Chang |
| author_facet | Aria Ashir Saeed Jerban Victor Barrère Yuanshan Wu Sameer B. Shah Michael P. Andre Eric Y. Chang |
| author_sort | Aria Ashir |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ultrasound (US) is an important imaging tool for skeletal muscle analysis. The advantages of US include point-of-care access, real-time imaging, cost-effectiveness, and absence of ionizing radiation. However, US can be highly dependent on the operator and/or US system, and a portion of the potentially useful information carried by raw sonographic data is discarded in image formation for routine qualitative US. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) methods provide analysis of the raw or post-processed data, revealing additional information about normal tissue structure and disease status. There are four QUS categories that can be used on muscle and are important to review. First, quantitative data derived from B-mode images can help determine the macrostructural anatomy and microstructural morphology of muscle tissues. Second, US elastography can provide information about muscle elasticity or stiffness through strain elastography or shear wave elastography (SWE). Strain elastography measures the induced tissue strain caused either by internal or external compression by tracking tissue displacement with detectable speckle in B-mode images of the examined tissue. SWE measures the speed of induced shear waves traveling through the tissue to estimate the tissue elasticity. These shear waves may be produced using external mechanical vibrations or internal “push pulse” ultrasound stimuli. Third, raw radiofrequency signal analyses provide estimates of fundamental tissue parameters, such as the speed of sound, attenuation coefficient, and backscatter coefficient, which correspond to information about muscle tissue microstructure and composition. Lastly, envelope statistical analyses apply various probability distributions to estimate the number density of scatterers and quantify coherent to incoherent signals, thus providing information about microstructural properties of muscle tissue. This review will examine these QUS techniques, published results on QUS evaluation of skeletal muscles, and the strengths and limitations of QUS in skeletal muscle analysis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:20:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-71bfc0c026924c699ebebb26d340a22d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:20:25Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-71bfc0c026924c699ebebb26d340a22d2023-11-18T03:12:15ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202023-05-012310476310.3390/s23104763Skeletal Muscle Assessment Using Quantitative Ultrasound: A Narrative ReviewAria Ashir0Saeed Jerban1Victor Barrère2Yuanshan Wu3Sameer B. Shah4Michael P. Andre5Eric Y. Chang6Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USAResearch Service, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, USADepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USAResearch Service, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, USADepartment of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USAUltrasound (US) is an important imaging tool for skeletal muscle analysis. The advantages of US include point-of-care access, real-time imaging, cost-effectiveness, and absence of ionizing radiation. However, US can be highly dependent on the operator and/or US system, and a portion of the potentially useful information carried by raw sonographic data is discarded in image formation for routine qualitative US. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) methods provide analysis of the raw or post-processed data, revealing additional information about normal tissue structure and disease status. There are four QUS categories that can be used on muscle and are important to review. First, quantitative data derived from B-mode images can help determine the macrostructural anatomy and microstructural morphology of muscle tissues. Second, US elastography can provide information about muscle elasticity or stiffness through strain elastography or shear wave elastography (SWE). Strain elastography measures the induced tissue strain caused either by internal or external compression by tracking tissue displacement with detectable speckle in B-mode images of the examined tissue. SWE measures the speed of induced shear waves traveling through the tissue to estimate the tissue elasticity. These shear waves may be produced using external mechanical vibrations or internal “push pulse” ultrasound stimuli. Third, raw radiofrequency signal analyses provide estimates of fundamental tissue parameters, such as the speed of sound, attenuation coefficient, and backscatter coefficient, which correspond to information about muscle tissue microstructure and composition. Lastly, envelope statistical analyses apply various probability distributions to estimate the number density of scatterers and quantify coherent to incoherent signals, thus providing information about microstructural properties of muscle tissue. This review will examine these QUS techniques, published results on QUS evaluation of skeletal muscles, and the strengths and limitations of QUS in skeletal muscle analysis.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/10/4763skeletal muscleultrasoundquantitative ultrasound |
| spellingShingle | Aria Ashir Saeed Jerban Victor Barrère Yuanshan Wu Sameer B. Shah Michael P. Andre Eric Y. Chang Skeletal Muscle Assessment Using Quantitative Ultrasound: A Narrative Review Sensors skeletal muscle ultrasound quantitative ultrasound |
| title | Skeletal Muscle Assessment Using Quantitative Ultrasound: A Narrative Review |
| title_full | Skeletal Muscle Assessment Using Quantitative Ultrasound: A Narrative Review |
| title_fullStr | Skeletal Muscle Assessment Using Quantitative Ultrasound: A Narrative Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Skeletal Muscle Assessment Using Quantitative Ultrasound: A Narrative Review |
| title_short | Skeletal Muscle Assessment Using Quantitative Ultrasound: A Narrative Review |
| title_sort | skeletal muscle assessment using quantitative ultrasound a narrative review |
| topic | skeletal muscle ultrasound quantitative ultrasound |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/10/4763 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ariaashir skeletalmuscleassessmentusingquantitativeultrasoundanarrativereview AT saeedjerban skeletalmuscleassessmentusingquantitativeultrasoundanarrativereview AT victorbarrere skeletalmuscleassessmentusingquantitativeultrasoundanarrativereview AT yuanshanwu skeletalmuscleassessmentusingquantitativeultrasoundanarrativereview AT sameerbshah skeletalmuscleassessmentusingquantitativeultrasoundanarrativereview AT michaelpandre skeletalmuscleassessmentusingquantitativeultrasoundanarrativereview AT ericychang skeletalmuscleassessmentusingquantitativeultrasoundanarrativereview |