فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

Background: Sonoelastography is extensively used for clinical diagnosis. Different types of elastography can be used to assess the elastic properties (stiffness) of tissues. For quantitative analyses, shear wave elastography (SWE) has been applied as a non-invasive method in the past decade. Today, SWE is widely used for diagnosing diseases. However, a limited number of studies have investigated musculoskeletal injuries and neoplastic diseases. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the postoperative functional recovery of Achilles tendon ruptures by SWE to determine the Achilles tendon function and provide reliable evidence for clinicians. Results: The mean elasticity (E mean ) of normal and ruptured Achilles tendons was 447.4 ± 59.57 and 63.84 ± 45.18 kPa, respectively in 50 patients with ruptured Achilles tendons before surgery. On the other hand, the E mean values of ruptured Achilles tendons in one-, three-, and six-month follow-ups were 110.3 ± 35.60, 183.4 ± 46.08, and 279.1 ± 48.18 kPa in 50 patients, respectively. Regarding the E mean , the difference between the five time points was significant (F = 418.5, P < 0.01). With prolongation of postoperative recovery, the E mean of the Achilles tendon gradually increased; the E mean value significantly increased at six months after surgery. Conclusion: The quantitative analysis of the postoperative function of Achilles tendon, based on the E mean value obtained by SWE, can be helpful in guiding clinicians to objectively examine the prognosis of patients.