Achilles ultrasound

BACKGROUND: Physical therapists frequently employ heel lifts as an intervention to reduce Achilles tendon pain and restore function. PURPOSE: To determine the short-term effect of heel lifts on clinical and gait outcomes in participants with insertional Achilles tendinopathy (IAT). STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: Participants with IAT underwent eligibility screening and completed assessments at baseline and 2 weeks later...

CASE: A 19-year-old female athlete experienced calf pain during sport. A complete Achilles tendon rupture was diagnosed 4 weeks after injury. Ultrasound revealed discontinuity of the Achilles tendon with 2.0 cm of diastasis, persisting in plantarflexion. Plantarflexion immobilization was initiated, and progressive dorsiflexion was used until 10 weeks from injury. At 1 year from injury, ankle magnetic resonance imaging revealed a contiguous tendon, the patient was pain-free, and had returned to high-level athletics with equivalent sport performance relative to her preoperative status...

Ultrasound elastography is a valuable method employed to evaluate tissue stiffness, with shear-wave elastography (SWE) recently gaining significance in various settings. This literature review aims to explore the potential of SWE as a diagnostic and monitoring tool for musculoskeletal injuries. In total, 15 studies were found and included in the review. The outcomes of these studies demonstrate the effectiveness of SWE in detecting stiffness changes in individuals diagnosed with Achilles tendinopathy, Achilles tendon rupture, rotator cuff rupture, tendinosis of the long head of the biceps tendon, injury of the supraspinatus muscle, medial tibial stress syndrome, and patellar tendinopathy...

BACKGROUND: Injections around the Achilles tendon (AT) are commonly performed in clinical practice to manage non-insertional Achilles tendinopathy, but the presence/distribution of the injectate with relation to its sheath has not been assessed specifically. Accordingly, the aim of this cadaveric investigation was to demonstrate the feasibility of Achilles paratenon injection under ultrasound guidance - by confirming the exact needle positioning as well as the dye distribution inside the paratenon lumen...

A fit man in his 60s presented with an infected Achilles tendon (AT) following two failed repairs for a traumatic rupture. Initial debridement of necrotic tissue resulted in a large soft tissue defect requiring robust coverage. Following aggressive wound management, an anterolateral thigh flap was elevated with tensor fasciae latae (TFL) which was triple-rolled to provide soft tissue coverage and tendon reconstruction.The flap remained healthy and was monitored with a flow coupler device. Initially, the foot was placed in plantarflexion before gradually increasing the angle to neutral and a thermoplastic splint was used to offload pressure on the flap...

Prenatal diagnosis of clubfoot traditionally relied on two-dimensional ultrasonography. To enhance diagnosis and predict postnatal outcomes, we examined the parameters that differentiate pathological clubfoot using three-dimensional ultrasonography. In our retrospective study, we examined the findings of prenatal ultrasound and the postnatal outcomes of pregnancies with suspected congenital clubfoot between 2018 and 2021. Based on the three-dimensional perspective, we measured the angles of varus, equinus, calcaneopedal block, and forefoot adduction and compared the sonographic variables between the postnatal treated and non-treated groups...

BACKGROUND: Despite knowledge of qualitative changes that occur on ultrasound in tendinopathy, there is currently no objective and reliable means to quantify the severity or prognosis of tendinopathy on ultrasound. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study is to produce a quantitative and automated means of inferring potential structural changes in tendinopathy by developing and implementing an algorithm which performs a texture based segmentation of tendon ultrasound (US) images...

INTRODUCTION: Ultrasound is the preferred imaging method in the diagnostic process of Achilles tendinopathy (AT). Ultrasound tissue characterization (UTC) is a frequently used, standardized and valid method to assess tendon geometry in AT patients. It is unknown whether UTC is reliable for measuring Achilles tendon thickness. The aim of the study was to assess intra- and inter-rater reliability of Achilles tendon thickness measurements using UTC in both asymptomatic individuals and patients with AT, and to evaluate if the reliability of thickness measurements differs between the midportion and insertional area...

Background and Objectives : The early recognition of tendon alterations in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients, an awareness of the factors that influence the condition, and active intervention have considerable clinical relevance. The aim of this study was to investigate the musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) features of the Achilles tendon in chronic HD patients and determine the factors associated with tendon abnormalities. Materials and Methods : This study was conducted on 46 HD patients and 24 sex- and age-matched controls...

BACKGROUND: Within the exploration of human gait, key focal points include the examination of functional rockers and the influential role of tendon behavior in the intricate stretch-shortening cycle. To date, the possible relationship between these two fundamental factors in the analysis of human gait has not been studied. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the relationship between the morphology of the patellar and Achilles tendons and plantar fascia with respect to the duration of the rockers...

BACKGROUND: To conduct a systematic review looking into the possibility of US imaging to anticipate and identify future patellar or Achilles tendinopathy symptoms. METHODS: The studies that were taken into consideration for this review were prospective studies that employed baseline US imaging of the patellar OR Achilles tendons in asymptomatic patients and follow-up measures of pain and/or function. Two impartial reviewers evaluated the study's quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme instrument...

OBJECTIVE: Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has been gradually used to treat Achilles tendinopathy. However, there are limited non-invasive and efficient instruments for monitoring LIPUS efficacy in Achilles tendinopathy. The purpose of this study was to assess the therapeutic effectiveness of LIPUS after Achilles tendinopathy by 2-D ultrasound and real-time shear wave elastography (SWE). METHODS: Ninety New Zealand white rabbits were divided into control, sham and LIPUS groups after tendinopathy modeling...

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/4866240.].

Acute Achilles tendon (AT) rupture is an infrequent yet incapacitating injury that demands prompt diagnosis and effective intervention. While unilateral ruptures are more common, bilateral occurrences are exceedingly rare, particularly without predisposing factors. This case report presents an instance of a 52-year-old male patient who suffered a bilateral AT rupture during a soccer game. Physical examination and ultrasound confirmed bilateral AT tears, prompting surgical repair. The surgical procedure involved trimming the degenerated tendon ends, using a modified Krackow repair technique, and finally suturing the paratendon...

BACKGROUND: The interplay between the medial gastrocnemius muscle and the Achilles tendon is crucial for efficient walking. In cerebral palsy, muscle and tendon remodelling alters the role of contractile and elastic components. The aim was to investigate the length changes of medial gastrocnemius belly and fascicles, and Achilles tendon to understand their interplay to gait propulsion in individuals with cerebral palsy. METHODS: Twelve young individuals with cerebral palsy and 12 typically developed peers were assessed during multiple gait cycles using 3D gait analysis combined with a portable ultrasound device...

Tendinopathy is a complex tendon injury or pathology outcome, potentially leading to permanent impairment. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) is emerging as a treatment modality for tendon disorders. However, the optimal treatment duration and its effect on tendons remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of LIPUS in treating injured tendons, delineate the appropriate treatment duration, and elucidate the underlying treatment mechanisms through animal experiments. Ninety-six three-month-old New Zealand white rabbits were divided into normal control (NC) and model groups...

OBJECTIVE: To describe and compare pain maps reported during Achilles tendon loading exercises with recall pain location, in people with pain on palpation in their Achilles tendon and tendon pathology on imaging. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of baseline RCT. METHOD: Participants were recruited from a larger Achilles tendinopathy clinical trial. Inclusion criteria were at least 2-month self-reported history of Achilles tendinopathy, midtendon palpation pain, and pathology on ultrasound tissue characterization...

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of low to moderate biomechanical stress on entheses in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: We conducted a prospective interventional study on a cohort of psoriasis and PsA patients who underwent a 60 min badminton training session. Pain assessment by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), physical examination of 29 entheses (SPARCC, LEI, MASES) and bilateral ultrasound at the lateral humeral epicondyle, inferior patellar pole and Achilles tendon were performed before and after training...

UNLABELLED: Older adults have difficulty maintaining balance when faced with postural disturbances, a task that is influenced by the stiffness of the triceps surae and Achilles tendon. Age-related changes in Achilles tendon stiffness have been reported at matched levels of effort, but measures typically have not been made at matched loads, which is important due to age-dependent changes in strength. Moreover, age-dependent changes in muscle stiffness have yet to be tested. Here, we investigate how age alters muscle and tendon stiffness and their influence on ankle stiffness...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: People with familial hypercholesterolaemia are 13 times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than the general population. However, familial hypercholesterolaemia remains largely underdiagnosed. Tendon xanthoma is a specific clinical feature of familial hypercholesterolaemia and its presence alone implies a probable diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolaemia according to the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network Score (DLCNS). The aim of the study was to determine whether ultrasound detects more Achilles tendon xanthomas (ATX) than clinical examination...