Abstract

Aim: To evaluate real-time sonoelastography (RTSE) findings of the rotator cuff (RC) in patients with rim-rent tears (RRTs) and compare them with a control group of healthy individuals.

Methods: A total of 101 RC tendons were evaluated in 54 patients with RRTs and 31 healthy individuals. RC tendons were evaluated by routine shoulder dynamic ultrasound (US) and RTSE examination. US and RTSE findings were evaluated in patients with RRTs and healthy individuals for the same tendons of the RC.

Results: A total of 85 individuals (male/female: 34/51) and 101 RC tendons (54 with RRTs and 47 healthy tendons) were included in this study. According to the RTSE evaluation, all of the RRTs had yellow and red areas within green/blue coding, and all of the RC tendons in healthy volunteers had blue and green coding on sonoelastography.

Conclusion: We demonstrated tear areas and softening of the RC tendons in patients with RRTs compared to healthy volunteers. RTSE findings may be associated with RRTs of the RC tendons in this patient population and also can be useful for the evaluation of RRTs.

Keywords: rotator cuff, sonoelastography, supraspinatus, tendon injury

Copyright and license

How to cite

1.
Balaban M, Çilengir AH, Şığıt İkiz S, İdilman İS. A new way to detect rim rent tears of the rotator cuff: Real-time sonoelastography. Northwestern Med J. 2024;4(3):121-6. https://doi.org/10.54307/2024.NWMJ.132

References

  1. Codman EA. The shoulder. Boston, MA: Thomas Todd; 1934: 123-77.
  2. Brukner P, Khan K. Clinical sports medicine. 3rd ed. London: McGraw-Hill; 2009.
  3. Bouffard JA, Lee SM, Dhanju J. Ultrasonography of the shoulder. Semin Ultrasound CT MR. 2000; 21(3): 164-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0887-2171(00)90041-6
  4. Bianchi S, Martinoli C. Shoulder. In: Bianchi S, Martinoli C, editors. Ultrasound of the musculoskeletal system. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag; 2007: 189-331. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-28163-4_6
  5. Krouskop TA, Dougherty DR, Vinson FS. A pulsed Doppler ultrasonic system for making noninvasive measurements of the mechanical properties of soft tissue. J Rehabil Res Dev. 1987; 24(2): 1-8.
  6. Park GY, Kwon DR. Application of real-time sonoelastography in musculoskeletal diseases related to physical medicine and rehabilitation. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2011; 90(11): 875-86. https://doi.org/10.1097/PHM.0b013e31821a6f8d
  7. Pesavento A, Perrey C, Krueger M, Ermert H. A time-efficient and accurate strain estimation concept for ultrasonic elastography using iterative phase zero estimation. IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control. 1999; 46(5): 1057-67. https://doi.org/10.1109/58.796111
  8. Varghese T, Ophir J, Konofagou E, Kallel F, Righetti R. Tradeoffs in elastographic imaging. Ultrason Imaging. 2001; 23(4): 216-48. https://doi.org/10.1177/016173460102300402
  9. De Zordo T, Chhem R, Smekal V, et al. Real-time sonoelastography: findings in patients with symptomatic achilles tendons and comparison to healthy volunteers. Ultraschall Med. 2010; 31(4): 394-400. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0028-1109809
  10. Klauser AS, Faschingbauer R, Jaschke WR. Is sonoelastography of value in assessing tendons? Semin Musculoskelet Radiol. 2010; 14(3): 323-33. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0030-1254521
  11. Galletti S, Oliva F, Masiero S, et al. Sonoelastography in the diagnosis of tendinopathies: an added value. Muscles Ligaments Tendons J. 2016; 5(4): 325-30. https://doi.org/10.11138/mltj/2015.5.4.325
  12. Prado-Costa R, Rebelo J, Monteiro-Barroso J, Preto AS. Ultrasound elastography: compression elastography and shear-wave elastography in the assessment of tendon injury. Insights Imaging. 2018; 9(5): 791-814. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13244-018-0642-1
  13. Porta F, Damjanov N, Galluccio F, Iagnocco A, Matucci-Cerinic M. Ultrasound elastography is a reproducible and feasible tool for the evaluation of the patellar tendon in healthy subjects. Int J Rheum Dis. 2014; 17(7): 762-6. https://doi.org/10.1111/1756-185X.12241
  14. Khodair SA, Ghieda UE. Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy; Comparison Between Conventional Sonography, Sonoelastography, and MRI in Healthy Volunteers and Patients with Shoulder Pain. International Journal of Medical Imaging. 2019; 7(4): 91-7. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmi.20190704.12
  15. Ginat DT, Destounis SV, Barr RG, Castaneda B, Strang JG, Rubens DJ. US elastography of breast and prostate lesions. Radiographics. 2009; 29(7): 2007-16. https://doi.org/10.1148/rg.297095058
  16. Cho N, Moon WK, Park JS, Cha JH, Jang M, Seong MH. Nonpalpable breast masses: evaluation by US elastography. Korean J Radiol. 2008; 9(2): 111-8. https://doi.org/10.3348/kjr.2008.9.2.111