Evaluation of Current Symptoms in Postoperative Achilles Tendons: A Multimodal Ultrasound Study

(1) Background: It is unknown which imaging parameters are associated with clinical persistent symptoms in postoperative Achilles tendons. This study used B-Mode, Power Doppler (PD-US), Ultrasound Tissue Characterization (UTC) and Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) to investigate which imaging parameters...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Priscila Nunes, Marcel Betsch, Bernhard Fuss, Timm Dirrichs, Markus Tingart, Valentin Quack, Matthias Gatz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-03-01
Series:Healthcare
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/9/3/288
Description
Summary:(1) Background: It is unknown which imaging parameters are associated with clinical persistent symptoms in postoperative Achilles tendons. This study used B-Mode, Power Doppler (PD-US), Ultrasound Tissue Characterization (UTC) and Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) to investigate which imaging parameters are associated with persistent symptoms in postoperative Achilles tendon tissue. (2) Methods: Retrospective, cross-sectional, multimodal imaging study. Based on the VISA-A score, postoperative tendons were assigned to two groups: 1. asymptomatic (VISA-A ≥ 90, <i>n</i> = 18); 2. symptomatic (VISA-A < 90, <i>n</i> = 10). The following imaging parameters were analyzed: UTC (echo type I, II, III, IV), B-Mode (diameter, cross sectional area, calcification, fiber irregularity), PD-US (Öhberg score) and SWE (SWE 3 mm, SWE area) using a <i>t</i>-test and a <i>Mann–Whitney U</i> test. (3) Results: SWE and PD-US showed significantly reduced elasticity and increased neovascularization in symptomatic tendons (SWE 3 mm <i>p</i> = 0.031, SWE area <i>p</i> = 0.046, Öhberg score <i>p</i> < 0.001). The only significant correlation between imaging parameters and the VISA-A score was assessed for SWE 3 mm (r = 0.378; <i>p</i> = 0.047) and the Öhberg score (r = −0.737; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Conclusions: Symptomatic postoperative Achilles tendons showed increased neovascularization and lower SWE values than asymptomatic ones. Future studies should examine the diagnostic accuracy of PD-US and SWE in detecting current symptoms in postoperative Achilles tendons.
ISSN:2227-9032