Volume 16, Issue 4 pp. 384-397
NARRATIVE REVIEW

Diagnostic utility of shear wave elastography in musculoskeletal injuries: A narrative review

Kuntal Chowdhary MD

Corresponding Author

Kuntal Chowdhary MD

Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA

Correspondence

Kuntal Chowdhary, Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, 180 Fort Washington Avenue, New York, NY 10032, USA.

Email: [email protected]

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George Raum DO

George Raum DO

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

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Christopher Visco MD

Christopher Visco MD

Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA

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First published: 12 April 2024

Kuntal Chowdhary and George Raum contributed equally to this work.

Abstract

Shear wave elastography (SWE) is an emerging and promising ultrasound modality, and is more recently employed in the diagnosis of musculoskeletal (MSK) pathologies. SWE evaluates tissue stiffness by measuring the speed of propagating acoustic waves through body tissue structures. Knowing the variations in stiffness of MSK soft tissue can provide helpful diagnostic insight for the evaluation of pathology in muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and other soft tissues. The goal of this review is to synthesize recent literature on the utility of SWE for MSK pathology diagnosis. This review reveals that SWE adds important diagnostic data for the evaluation of several pathologies, such as median mononeuropathy at the wrist, Achilles tendinopathy, and plantar fasciitis. The review also reveals a lack of evidence pertaining to appropriate standardization of use and the connection to reliable and valid diagnostic benefit in the clinical setting.

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