Experimental characterization of a vector Doppler system based on a clinical ultrasound scanner

Dynamic ultrasound imaging applications to quantify musculoskeletal function

Advances in imaging methods have led to new capability to study muscle and tendon motion in vivo. Direct measurements of muscle and tendon kinematics using imaging may lead to improved understanding of musculoskeletal function. This review presents quantitative ultrasound methods for muscle dynamics that can be used to assess in vivo musculoskeletal function when integrated with other conventional biomechanical measurements.

Measurement of tendon velocities using vector tissue Doppler imaging: a feasibility study

We have developed a vector Doppler ultrasound imaging method to directly quantify the magnitude and direction of muscle and tendon velocities during movement. The goal of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using vector Tissue Doppler Imaging (vTDI) for estimating the tibialis anterior tendon velocities during dorsiflexion in children with cerebral palsy who have foot drop. Our preliminary results from this study show that tendon velocities estimated using vTDI have a strong linear correlation with the joint angular velocity estimated using a conventional 3D motion capture system. We observed a peak tendon velocity of 5.66±1.45 cm/s during dorsiflexion and a peak velocity of 8.83±2.13 cm/s during the passive relaxation phase of movement. We also obtained repeatable results from the same subject 3 weeks apart. Direct measurements of muscle and tendon velocities may be used as clinical outcome measures and for studying efficiency of movement control.