Transient elastography of calcaneal tendon: Preliminary results and future prospects

Purpose. - To evaluate transient ShearWave elastography of the normal Achilles' tendon. Patients and methods. - The Achilles' tendon of 30 normal subjects were prospectively assessed using a Rubi V1Sq prototype (Supersonic Imagine). Quantitative elastography maps displayed in kilopascals with a scale of 0 to 600 kPa were generated from transverse and longitudinal images at 3 different levels of plantar flexion. Subgroups were compared and analyzed based on proven or suspected variation factors (age, gender, level of physical activity). Results. - On sagittal images, mean elasticity was 104 +/- 46 kPa during extension, 464 +/- 144 kPa in neutral position and 410 +/- 196 kPa during maximum dorsiflexion. There was significant increase in elasticity when the Achilles' tendon was maximally stretched (p < 0.01). The intra-individual correlation between right and left tendons during ankle extension was good (Pearson Coefficient 0.8; p < 0.01). Finally, physically active subjects showed significantly greater elasticity than non-active subjects (p < 0.05). Conclusion. - Transient ShearWave elastography of the Achilles' tendon is a simple technique that provides real-time information about tissue elasticity. (C) 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS and Editions francaises de radiologie. All rights reserved.