Evaluation of the Achilles Tendon Using B-Mode Ultrasound and Strain Elastography in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

Diagnostic value of Achilles tendon shear wave elastography in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: A case-control study

OBJECTIVES

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) can cause peripheral arthritis, tendinitis, enthesitis, and axial skeletal involvement. This study aims to determine early tendon damage by shear wave elastography (SWE) for the Achilles tendon in AS patients.

METHODS

48 AS patients and 48 asymptomatic individuals were included in the study. Participants were systematically examined with B-mode, power Doppler, and SWE using a high-resolution linear 6-15 MHz probe. Bilateral Achilles tendon stiffness, thickness, and vascularity were evaluated. Measurements were taken from the middle third of the Achilles tendon in the sagittal plane. Difference between the two groups was evaluated with statistical methods. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to test the diagnostic performance of Achilles tendon stiffness. Additionally, the Spearman correlation test examined the relationship between Achilles tendon stiffness and disease duration.

RESULTS

The difference between the two groups regarding Achilles tendon stiffness was statistically significant (p < 0.05). It was observed that Achilles tendon stiffness decreased in the patient group compared with the control group. The diagnostic value of Achilles tendon stiffness measured by SWE was found to be high. A negative correlation was detected between disease duration and tendon stiffness (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

In patients diagnosed with AS, deterioration in the Achilles tendon structure was observed, and a significant decrease in tendon stiffness compared with the healthy population. It has been determined that these changes in the Achilles tendon are related to the duration of the disease.

Sound touch elastography of Achilles tendons in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus versus healthy adults

BACKGROUND

The studies of the effect of diabetes on the stiffness of Achilles tendon (AT) tissue remain inconclusive, we believe it is necessary to find a reliable method which can be used to detect the stiffness changes of the AT in the diabetic state. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of sound touch elastography (STE) as a tool for detecting diabetic Achilles tendinopathy.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of 180 participants, consisting of 82 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 98 healthy adults, who had undergone AT ultrasonography. Young 's modulus (E) values of the distal, middle, and proximal segments of bilateral ATs of all participants were measured using STE technique. The E values of each AT segment between the case and control group were compared.

RESULTS

The E values of the three segments of ATs in T2DM patients were lower than the healthy controls (P < 0.05). In both groups, the E values of the distal segments were lower than those of the middle segments, and the latter were lower than those of the proximal segments (P < 0.05). The E value of each segment of AT was inversely related to FPG, HbA1c, and diabetes duration (P < 0.05). The best cut-off points for the E values of the three segments of the AT for detecting diabetic tendinopathy were 347.44 kPa (AUC, 0.779), 441.57 kPa (AUC, 0.692), and 484.35 kPa (AUC, 0.676), respectively.

CONCLUSION

STE can be used as a complementary diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of diabetic Achilles tendinopathy.

Quantitative evaluation of the Achilles tendon and supraspinatus tendon in end-stage kidney disease patients: A potential tool for predicting spontaneous tendon rupture

Many cases of spontaneous tendon rupture in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients have been reported worldwide. Quantitative assessment of tendon has become an important way to improve the prognosis of patients. In the recruited healthy volunteers and ESKD patients, the thickness and shear wave velocity (SWV) of supraspinatus tendons and Achilles tendons were measured and compared among groups. Potential factors related to the tendon SWV of ESKD patients were screened in multiple linear regression. There was no significant difference in the tendon thickness and supraspinatus tendon SWV among groups. SWV of Achilles tendons in long-term dialysis ESKD patients were significantly lower than those in healthy volunteers (5.1 vs. 5.6 m/s, p < 0.01). Ca²⁺ , creatinine, body mass index, and genders are the significant factors related to the tendon SWV. Shear wave elastography can be used as a potential tool for predicting spontaneous tendon rupture in ESKD patients.