sports ultrasound

PURPOSE: Excessive mechanical stress accumulates and causes knee injury. Meniscal extrusion is a key factor in detecting the reaction to cumulative mechanical stress. The accumulation of stress strongly depends on environmental conditions such as flat ground or uphill/downhill, and accumulates in knee compartments; only a few studies have reported the effects of different environments on lateral and medial meniscus extrusion. This study aimed to investigate the effects of cumulative uphill/downhill stress on the meniscal extrusion in each compartment...

BACKGROUND: Monitoring elite athletes' body composition (BC) is vital for health and optimizing performance in sports emphasizing leanness, such as athletics. This study aims to investigate and compare sex- and event-specific off-to in-season BC changes in endurance and power event athletics competitors. METHODS: Elite male and female endurance athletes (> 800 m runners; n = 21) and power event athletes (sprinters, jumpers; n = 32) underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans for whole and regional lean mass (LM), fat mass (FM), bone mineral content (BMC), and density (BMD) during off-season (September-October) and in-season (April-May)...

The effects of a 12-week gait retraining program on the adaptation of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) and muscle-tendon unit (MTU) were investigated. 26 runners with a rearfoot strike pattern (RFS) were randomly assigned to one of two groups: gait retraining (GR) or control group (CON). MG ultrasound images, marker positions, and ground reaction forces (GRF) were collected twice during 9 km/h of treadmill running before and after the intervention. Ankle kinetics and the MG and MTU behavior and dynamics were quantified...

BACKGROUND: Osgood-Schlatter is the most frequent growth-related injury affecting about 10% of physically active adolescents. It can cause long-term pain and limitations in sports and physical activity, with potential sequela well into adulthood. The management of Osgood-Schlatter is very heterogeneous. Recent systematic reviews have found low level evidence for surgical intervention and injection therapies, and an absence of studies on conservative management. Recently, a novel self-management approach with exercise, education, and activity modification, demonstrated favorable outcomes for adolescents with patellofemoral pain and Osgood-Schlatter in prospective cohort studies...

PURPOSE: Manual reconstruction (MR) of the vastus lateralis (VL) muscle cross sectional area (CSA) from sequential ultrasound (US) images is accessible, reproducible and has concurrent validity with magnetic resonance imaging. However, this technique requires numerous controls and procedures during image acquisition and reconstruction, making it laborious and time-consuming. The aim of this study was to determine the concurrent validity of VL CSA assessments between MR and computer vision-based automatic reconstruction (AR) of CSA from sequential images of the VL obtained by US...

OBJECTIVE: Body mass index (BMI) is known to contribute to outcomes for patients with knee OA. Furthermore, BMI influences the protein expression of orthobiologic treatments like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and microfragmented adipose tissue (MFAT). We performed a secondary analysis of the association of BMI with PROs for patients with knee OA who received either PRP or MFAT injections. METHODS: Seventy-one patients with knee OA were randomized to receive a single ultrasound-guided injection of PRP or MFAT...

INTRODUCTION: Although neuromuscular function varies significantly between strength and endurance-trained adult athletes, it has yet to be ascertained whether such differences manifest by early adolescence. The aim of the present study was to compare knee extensor neuromuscular characteristics between adolescent athletes who are representative of strength (wrestling) or endurance (triathlon) sports. METHODS: Twenty-three triathletes (TRI), 12 wrestlers (WRE) and 12 untrained (CON) male adolescents aged 13 to 15 years participated in the present study...

Two long-distance runners developed MTSS (male age=26.3 years, female age=47.5 years) after baseline assessment of plantar flexor muscle structure and function and spatiotemporal running variables. B-mode ultrasound and lean leg girth characterized plantar flexor muscle structure. Hand-held dynamometry and a single-leg heel raise to failure protocol characterized plantar flexor muscle function. Finally, spatiotemporal running variables were determined during a treadmill protocol. The two runners who developed MTSS demonstrated less plantar flexor strength and endurance capacity than published comparative control data and marked variability in muscle structure...

PURPOSE: Midportion Achilles tendinopathy is a relatively common condition. This study aimed to investigate the presence of a normal Achilles tendon, but a tendinopathic plantaris tendon, in a large and consecutive prospective sample of patients referred to a specialised tendon clinic for midportion Achilles tendon pain not responding to non-surgical treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 105 consecutive tendons were operated on in 81 patients (62 males) suffering from painful midportion Achilles tendon pain...

BACKGROUND: Despite advancements in surgical technique, failure of tendon healing remains a common problem after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR). PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between range of motion (ROM) recovery and healing after ARCR. It was hypothesized that an early loss of ROM would be associated with tendon healing. STUDY DESIGN: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: This was a retrospective comparative study of primary ARCR of isolated full-thickness supraspinatus (SSN) tendon tears...

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to perform a survey administered to members of the Meniscus International Network (MenIN) Study Group, seeking to delineate the most contentious aspects of meniscal extrusion classification and provide a foundation for new, more comprehensive definitions and treatments for these pathologies. METHODS: MenIN Study Group is a group of international experts treating and performing research on meniscus pathology and treatment...

OBJECTIVES: Some young individuals participating in sports activities may encounter lower leg muscle pain and tightness, potentially indicating chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS). While muscle pressure measurement is typically recommended for diagnosis, it is invasive and associated with low sensitivity and specificity. Thus, there is a need for novel diagnostic approaches. METHODS: This feasibility study aims to assess whether an ultrasound-guided technique can effectively measure the compressibility of the anterior tibial muscle compartment, focusing on optimal leg positioning and identifying reliable external and internal anatomical landmarks...

PURPOSE: High body mass index (BMI) is a strong predictor of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (OA) after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Altered gait mechanics are independently affected by BMI and ACLR, and influence OA risk. Yet, evidence directly assessing the impact of high BMI on gait or cartilage characteristics after ACLR are limited. Here, we evaluated if high BMI moderates associations between gait and trochlear cartilage structure in individuals with ACLR. METHODS: Treadmill walking biomechanics were evaluated in forty normal BMI and twenty-four high BMI participants with ACLR at self-selected speeds...

Tendon properties impact human locomotion, influencing sports performance, and injury prevention. Hamstrings play a crucial role in sprinting, particularly the biceps femoris long head (BFlh), which is prone to frequent injuries. It remains uncertain if BFlh exhibits distinct mechanical properties compared to other hamstring muscles. This study utilized free-hand three-dimensional ultrasound to assess morphological and mechanical properties of distal hamstrings tendons in 15 men. Scans were taken in prone position, with hip and knee extended, at rest and during 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction of the knee flexors...

PURPOSE: This study explores the use of ultrasound-guided Hyaluronic Acid (HA) injections for Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy (IAT). METHODS: A cohort of 15 ankles diagnosed with IAT received three weekly ultrasound-guided HA injections. The Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment - Achilles (VISA-A) questionnaire scored the severity of symptoms and functional impairment before treatment, and at one and six months post-treatment. RESULTS: Significant improvement was observed in VISA-A scores post-treatment, rising from an average baseline of 34...

BACKGROUND: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is commonly associated with moderate-to-severe postoperative pain. Notably, various pain control strategies, a femoral nerve block (FNB) with a lateral femoral cutaneous nerve block (LFCNB), adductor canal block (ACB) with LFCNB, or periarticular cocktail injection (PI), have been investigated. However, no studies compare the effects of FNB with LFCNB, ACB with LFCNB, and PI for pain control after ACL reconstruction. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of FNB with LFCNB, ACB with LFCNB, and PI for pain relief in the early postoperative period after ACL reconstruction...

BACKGROUND: Rugby is a sport involving a great number of shoulder collisions. Traumatic stress of the shoulder can weaken the static stabilizers and promote major injuries as dislocation or full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff. The goal of this study is to evaluate the clinical and ultrasonographic dominant shoulder factures in a group of amateur rugby players, with no history of shoulder injuries, and to compare them with those of a control group. METHODS: 52 male subjects join in the study: 26 amateur rugby players and 26 subjects, which did not practice rugby or competitive sport...

Padel is a racket sport, combining high-frequency and low-intensity athletic gestures, that has been gaining growing scientific interest in recent years. Musculoskeletal injuries are very common among padel players with an incidence rate of 3 per 1000 h of training and 8 per 1000 matches. To the best of our knowledge, a comprehensive collection describing the most common sonographic findings in padel players with musculoskeletal injuries is lacking in the pertinent literature. In this sense, starting from the biomechanical features of padel-specific gestures we have reported the ultrasonographic patterns of most frequent injuries involving the upper limb, the trunk, and the lower limb...

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), is a frequently encountered condition in clinical settings, typically arising from static or dynamic compression of the ulnar nerve. CTS is characterized by the irritation of the ulnar nerve within the cubital tunnel and is a common neuropathic condition that can significantly impact functional abilities and quality of life. This article explores the utility of diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK-US) in the evaluation of the cubital tunnel and the ulnar nerve. The cubital tunnel syndrome, a common entrapment neuropathy of the ulnar nerve, often presents diagnostic challenges...

OBJECTIVES: Image-guided ultrasound or fluoroscopic glenohumeral injections have high accuracy rates, but require training, equipment, cost, and radiation exposure (fluoroscopy). In contrast, landmark-guided glenohumeral injections do not require additional subspecialist referral or equipment. An optimal technique would be safe, accurate, and have few barriers to implementation. The purpose of this study was to define the accuracy of glenohumeral needle placement via an anterior landmark-guided approach as assessed by direct arthroscopic visualization...