Effects of age and pathology on shear wave speed of the human rotator cuff

Abstract

Rotator cuff tears are common and often repaired surgically, but post-operative repair tissue healing, and shoulder function can be unpredictable. Tear chronicity is believed to influence clinical outcomes, but conventional clinical approaches for assessing tear chronicity are subjective. Shear wave elastography (SWE) is a promising technique for assessing soft tissue via estimates of shear wave speed (SWS), but this technique has not been used extensively on the rotator cuff. Specifically, the effects of age and pathology on rotator cuff SWS are not well known. The objectives of this study were to assess the association between SWS and age in healthy, asymptomatic subjects, and to compare measures of SWS between patients with a rotator cuff tear and healthy, asymptomatic subjects. SWE images of the supraspinatus muscle and intramuscular tendon were acquired from 19 asymptomatic subjects and 11 patients with a rotator cuff tear. Images were acquired with the supraspinatus under passive and active (i.e., minimal activation) conditions. Mean SWS was positively associated with age in the supraspinatus muscle and tendon under passive and active conditions (p ≤ 0.049). Compared to asymptomatic subjects, patients had a lower mean SWS in their muscle and tendon under active conditions (p ≤ 0.024), but no differences were detected under passive conditions (p ≥ 0.783). These findings identify the influences of age and pathology on SWS in the rotator cuff. These preliminary findings are an important step toward evaluating the clinical utility of SWE for assessing rotator cuff pathology. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:282-288, 2018.

Age‐related changes in muscle elasticity and thickness of the lower extremities are associated with physical functions among community‐dwelling older women

“…7 Additionally, age-associated high elasticities of the supraspinatus and Achilles tendon were also reported. 6,23 The men : women ratio in these studies ranged from 1:1 to 8:1. Therefore, from the results of previous reports and the present study, age-related changes in elasticities were observed regardless of sex, and they are common changes in men and women.…”

“…Eby et al reported that the elasticity of the biceps brachii of individuals aged >60 years increased with age . Additionally, age‐associated high elasticities of the supraspinatus and Achilles tendon were also reported . The men : women ratio in these studies ranged from 1:1 to 8:1.…”

“…Previous studies reported that muscle thickness of the lower extremities was lower in older individuals (mean age 73.0–83.2 years) than in young individuals (mean age 19.8–22.0 years) . Recently, some authors have reported that the elasticity of the biceps brachii and supraspinatus, measured using ultrasound elastography, was higher with age . Alnaqeeb et al showed that the collagen and connective tissue in the extensor digitorum longus of rats increased with age, and these non‐contractile tissues were correlated with increasing muscle elasticity .…”

“…[2][3][4][5] Recently, some authors have reported that the elasticity of the biceps brachii and supraspinatus, measured using ultrasound elastography, was higher with age. 6,7 Alnaqeeb et al showed that the collagen and connective tissue in the extensor digitorum longus of rats increased with age, 8 and these non-contractile tissues were correlated with increasing muscle elasticity. 9 Furthermore, in the lower extremities, muscle elasticity is considered to increase with aging, but the effect of age has not been clarified.…”

Real-time sonoelastography: principles and clinical applications in tendon disorders.

“…In case of small supraspinatus tears, several Authors 53,59,60 reported the torn tendons to be softer (mean strain index 0.75 ± 0.08) compared with the contralateral healthy shoulder (1.01 ± 0.07) (Figs. [3][4][5].…”