1. Shear waves elastography for assessment of human Achilles tendon's biomechanical properties: an experimental study
- Author
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Marc Soubeyrand, Anthony Roux, Thomas-Xavier Haen, Sébastien Laporte, Administrateur Ensam, Compte De Service, CHU Trousseau [APHP], Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Sorbonne Université (SU), Service de pédiatrie orthopédique [CHU Trousseau], Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-CHU Trousseau [APHP], Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Sorbonne Université (SU), Institut de Biomecanique Humaine Georges Charpak, Université Paris 13 (UP13)-Arts et Métiers ParisTech, Centre Européen de Recherche et de Formation Avancée en Calcul Scientifique (CERFACS), CERFACS, AP-HP Hôpital Bicêtre (Le Kremlin-Bicêtre), Laboratoire de biomécanique (LBM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12 (UPEC UP12)-Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (USPC)-Université Paris 13 (UP13), Arts et Métiers ParisTech, HESAM Université (HESAM), Université Paris 13 (UP13)-Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (USPC)-Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12 (UPEC UP12)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and HESAM Université - Communauté d'universités et d'établissements Hautes écoles Sorbonne Arts et métiers université (HESAM)
- Subjects
Injury Biomechanics ,Shear waves ,Materials science ,Biomedical Engineering ,Achilles Tendon ,030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging ,Biomaterials ,Shear modulus ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Tendon Injuries ,Elastic Modulus ,[SPI.MECA.BIOM] Engineering Sciences [physics]/Mechanics [physics.med-ph]/Biomechanics [physics.med-ph] ,Ultimate tensile strength ,Cadaver ,medicine ,Humans ,Muscle, Skeletal ,Achilles Cadaveric tendon ,Elastic modulus ,Mécanique: Biomécanique [Sciences de l'ingénieur] ,[SDV.IB] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Bioengineering ,Achilles tendon ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,ingénierie bio-médicale [Sciences du vivant] ,[SPI.MECA.BIOM]Engineering Sciences [physics]/Mechanics [physics.med-ph]/Biomechanics [physics.med-ph] ,Anatomy ,musculoskeletal system ,Biomechanical Phenomena ,Tendon ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Mechanics of Materials ,Elasticity Imaging Techniques ,[SDV.IB]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Bioengineering ,Shear waves elastography ,Elastography ,Cadaveric spasm ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Biomedical engineering - Abstract
Introduction: Achilles tendon is the most frequently ruptured tendon, but its optimal treatment is increasingly controversial. The mechanical properties of the healing tendon should be studied further. Shear waves elastography (SWE) measures the shear modulus, which is proven to be correlated to elastic modulus in animal tendons. The aim of our study was to study whether the shear moduli of human cadaveric Achilles tendon, given by SWE, were correlated with the apparent elastic moduli of those tendons given by tensile tests. Materials and methods: Fourteen cadaveric lower-limbs were studied. An elastographic study of the Achilles tendon (AT) was first done in clinical-like conditions. SWE was performed at three successive levels (0, 3 and 6 cm from tendon insertion) with elastographic probe oriented parallel to tendon fibers, blindly, for three standardized ankle positions (25° plantar flexion, neutral position, and maximal dorsal flexion). The mean shear moduli were collected through blind offline data-analysis. Then, AT with triceps were harvested. They were subjected to tensile tests. A continuous SWE of the Achilles tendon was performed simultaneously. The apparent elastic modulus was obtained from the experimental stress-strain curve, and correlation with shear modulus (given by SWE) was studied. Results: Average shear moduli of harvested AT, given by SWE made an instant before the tensile tests, were significantly correlated with shear moduli of the same AT made at the same level, previously in clinical-like condition (p < 0.05), only in neutral position. There was a statistical correlation (p < 0.005) and a correlation coefficient R² equal to 0.95 ± 0.05, between shear moduli (SWE) and apparent elastic moduli (tensile tests), for 11 tendons (3 tendons were inoperable due to technical error), before a constant disruption in the correlation curves. Discussion: We demonstrated a significant correlation between SWE of Achilles tendon performed in clinicallike conditions (in neutral position) and SWE performed in harvested tendon. We also found a correlation between SWE performed on harvested tendon and apparent elastic moduli obtained with tensile tests (for 11 specimens). As a consequence, we can suppose that SWE of AT in clinical-like conditions is related to tensile tests. To our knowledge, the ability of SWE to reliably assess biomechanical properties of a tendon or muscle was, so far, only demonstrated in animal models. Conclusion: SWE can provide biomechanical information of the human AT non-invasively.
- Published
- 2017
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