Quantitative Shear Wave Speed Assessment for Muscles With the Diagnosis of Taut Bands and/or Myofascial Trigger Points Using Probe Oscillation Shear Wave Elastography: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Objective To use probe oscillation shear wave elastography (PROSE) with two vibration sources to generate two shear waves in the imaging plane to quantitatively assess the shear wave speeds (SWSs) of muscles with and without the diagnosis of taut bands (TB) and/or myofascial trigger points (MTrPs). Methods Thirty‐three patients were scanned with the PROSE technique. Shear waves were generated through continuous vibration of the ultrasound probe, while the shear wave motions were detected using the same probe. SWSs for the sides with and without TBs and/or MTrPs were computed and compared. The pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) were measured as an indicator of maximum pain tolerance of patients. The statistical differences between the SWSs with and without TBs and/or MTrPs with different PPT values were analyzed using the nonparametric Wilcoxon rank‐sum test. Results The mean SWSs for the sides with TBs and/or MTrPs are faster than that of the contralateral side without TBs and/or MTrPs. A significant difference was observed between mean SWSs with and without TBs and/or MTrPs without any information of PPT, with rank‐sum test P < .005. Additionally, with the information of PPT, a significant difference was observed between mean SWSs for the sides with and without TBs and/or MTrPs, for PPT values between 0 and 50 N/cm2 (P < .005), but for PPT values between 50 and 90 N/cm2, it was difficult to differentiate mean SWSs with and without TBs and/or MTrPs. Conclusion Our preliminary results show that SWSs measured from patients had a significant difference between the mean SWSs with and without TBs and/or MTrPs.

Cervical Multifidus Stiffness Assessment in Individuals with and without Unilateral Chronic Neck Pain: An Inter-Examiner Reliability Study

“…The high reliability of our shear wave elastography measurements supports the use of these methods for effectively distinguishing between changes in muscle properties due to pathological conditions versus normal variability. Our study's demonstration of moderate-to-good reliability in shear wave elastography measurements can be directly applied to clinical settings where myofascial trigger points might be evaluated [44][45][46][47][48]. Given that myofascial trigger points are notably prevalent in patients with cervical musculoskeletal conditions [49][50][51][52][53][54], the ability to reliably measure muscle stiffness and elasticity can greatly enhance the diagnostic process.…”

Assessing thickness and stiffness of superficial/deep masticatory muscles in orofacial pain: an ultrasound and shear wave elastography study

“…Lok et al. employed probe oscillation SWS and reported that muscles with taut bands had higher shear wave velocities than those without [ 22 ]. The authors speculated that the increase in stiffness was due to persistent local muscle contraction.…”

Which muscles exhibit increased stiffness in people with chronic neck pain? A systematic review with meta-analysis

“…This is particularly intriguing since the levator scapulae is frequently reported as tender among adults suffering from nonspecific neck pain ( 53 ). A potential limitation of the included studies is the lack of control for myofascial trigger points, which are also associated with increased elastography-based stiffness scores ( 54 ). Such active trigger points appear more frequently in the upper trapezius (40%) compared to the levator scapulae (15%) in those with mechanical neck pain ( 55 ).…”