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Yang Y, Shahryari M, Meyer T, Marticorena Garcia SR, Görner S, Salimi Majd M, Guo J, Braun J, Sack I, Tzschätzsch H. Explorative study using ultrasound time-harmonic elastography for stiffness-based quantification of skeletal muscle function. Z Med Phys 2024:S0939-3889(24)00027-8. [PMID: 38508947 DOI: 10.1016/j.zemedi.2024.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Time-harmonic elastography (THE) is an emerging ultrasound imaging technique that allows full-field mapping of the stiffness of deep biological tissues. THE's unique ability to rapidly capture stiffness in multiple tissues has never been applied for imaging skeletal muscle. Therefore, we addressed the lack of data on temporal changes in skeletal muscle stiffness while simultaneously covering stiffness of different muscles. Acquiring repeated THE scans every five seconds we quantified shear-wave speed (SWS) as a marker of stiffness of the long head (LHB) and short head (SHB) of biceps brachii and of the brachialis muscle (B) in ten healthy volunteers. SWS was continuously acquired during a 3-min isometric preloading phase, a 3-min loading phase with different weights (4, 8, and 12 kg), and a 9-min postloading phase. In addition, we analyzed temporal SWS standard deviation (SD) as a marker of muscle contraction regulation. Our results (median [min, max]) showed both SWS at preloading (LHB: 1.04 [0.94, 1.12] m/s, SHB: 0.86 [0.78, 0.94] m/s, B: 0.96 [0.87, 1.09] m/s, p < 0.001) and the increase in SWS with loading weight to be muscle-specific (LHB: 0.010 [0.002, 0.019] m/s/kg, SHB: 0.022 [0.017, 0.042] m/s/kg, B: 0.039 [0.019, 0.062] m/s/kg, p < 0.001). Additionally, SWS during loading increased continuously over time by 0.022 [0.004, 0.051] m/s/min (p < 0.01). Using an exponential decay model, we found an average relaxation time of 27 seconds during postloading. Analogously, SWS SD at preloading was also muscle-specific (LHB: 0.018 [0.011, 0.029] m/s, SHB: 0.021 [0.015, 0.027] m/s, B: 0.024 [0.018, 0.037] m/s, p < 0.05) and increased by 0.005 [0.003, 0.008] m/s/kg (p < 0.01) with loading. SWS SD did not change over loading time and decreased immediately in the postloading phase. Taken together, THE of skeletal muscle is a promising imaging technique for in vivo quantification of stiffness and stiffness changes in multiple muscle groups within seconds. Both the magnitude of stiffness changes and their temporal variation during isometric exercise may reflect the functional status of skeletal muscle and provide additional information to the morphological measures obtained by conventional imaging modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mehrgan Shahryari
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tom Meyer
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephan Rodrigo Marticorena Garcia
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Steffen Görner
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mahsa Salimi Majd
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jing Guo
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jürgen Braun
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ingolf Sack
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Heiko Tzschätzsch
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
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Pimenta R, Correia JP, Vaz JR, Veloso AP, Herzog W. Changes in passive and active hamstrings shear modulus are not related after a warmup protocol. J Biomech 2024; 163:111957. [PMID: 38266532 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2024.111957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to determine whether changes in hamstrings passive and active shear modulus after a warmup protocol are correlated. Twenty males without a history of hamstring strain injury participated. Muscle shear modulus was assessed using ultrasound-based shear wave elastography at rest and during isometric contractions at 20% of maximal voluntary isometric effort before and immediately after a warmup protocol. Changes in passive shear modulus did not seem to be associated with changes in active shear modulus. The results of this study suggest that changes in passive and active hamstring shear modulus are not associated after a standardized warmup intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Pimenta
- CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Cruz Quebrada Dafundo, Portugal; Research Center of the Polytechnic Institute of Maia (N2i), Maia Polytechnic Institute (IPMAIA),Castêlo da Maia, 4475-690 Maia, Portugal; Futebol Clube Famalicão - Futebol SAD, Department of Rehabilitation and Performance, Famalicão, Portugal.
| | - José P Correia
- CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Cruz Quebrada Dafundo, Portugal
| | - João R Vaz
- CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Cruz Quebrada Dafundo, Portugal; Egas Moniz - Cooperativa de Ensino Superior, Monte da Caparica, Portugal
| | - António P Veloso
- CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Cruz Quebrada Dafundo, Portugal
| | - Walter Herzog
- Human Performance Laboratory, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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Bouvier J, Ogier AC, Martin C, Fouré A. Effect of knee joint angle on vastus medialis and vastus lateralis rigidity during isometric submaximal voluntary knee extensions. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2023; 73:102826. [PMID: 37774557 DOI: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2023.102826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of shear wave elastography during voluntary contraction has enabled the non-invasive assessment of load sharing strategies between agonist muscles. However, the change in joint angle and voluntary contraction intensity can modify contribution between muscles. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of knee joint angle on the local mechanical properties of the vastus medialis (VM) and the vastus lateralis (VL) during isometric submaximal voluntary contractions from shear wave elastography mapping. The VM and VL Young's modulus at rest and during constant isometric submaximal voluntary contractions (i.e., 25%, 50% and 75% of maximal voluntary contraction [MVC]) were assessed for two knee angles (50° and 100° | knee fully extended = 0°) in twelve participants. No significant difference was found in the VM Young's modulus among all torque levels and knee angles (p > 0.05). VL Young's modulus was significantly higher at 25% MVC for a knee angle of 100° than at 75% MVC for the same knee angle and was greater at 25% MVC for a knee angle of 100° than for 50° (p < 0.05). In contrast to the VM, the contribution of the VL to the knee joint torque production during isometric voluntary contraction appears to depend on the muscle length and the relative knee extension torque level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémie Bouvier
- Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Laboratoire Interuniversitaire de Biologie de la Motricité (LIBM), F-69622 Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Augustin C Ogier
- University of Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cyril Martin
- Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Laboratoire Interuniversitaire de Biologie de la Motricité (LIBM), F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Alexandre Fouré
- Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Laboratoire Interuniversitaire de Biologie de la Motricité (LIBM), F-69622 Villeurbanne, France.
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Ateş F, Marquetand J, Zimmer M. Detecting age-related changes in skeletal muscle mechanics using ultrasound shear wave elastography. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20062. [PMID: 37974024 PMCID: PMC10654699 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47468-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging leads to a decline in muscle mass and force-generating capacity. Ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) is a non-invasive method to capture age-related muscular adaptation. This study assessed biceps brachii muscle (BB) mechanics, hypothesizing that shear elastic modulus reflects (i) passive muscle force increase imposed by length change, (ii) activation-dependent mechanical changes, and (iii) differences between older and younger individuals. Fourteen healthy volunteers aged 60-80 participated. Shear elastic modulus, surface electromyography, and elbow torque were measured at five elbow positions in passive and active states. Data collected from young adults aged 20-40 were compared. The BB passive shear elastic modulus increased from flexion to extension, with the older group exhibiting up to 52.58% higher values. Maximum elbow flexion torque decreased in extended positions, with the older group 23.67% weaker. Significant effects of elbow angle, activity level, and age on total and active shear elastic modulus were found during submaximal contractions. The older group had 20.25% lower active shear elastic modulus at 25% maximum voluntary contraction. SWE effectively quantified passive and activation-dependent BB mechanics, detecting age-related alterations at rest and during low-level activities. These findings suggest shear elastic modulus as a promising biomarker for identifying altered muscle mechanics in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filiz Ateş
- Institute of Structural Mechanics and Dynamics in Aerospace Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Justus Marquetand
- Department of Epileptology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Neural Dynamics and Magnetoencephalography, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- MEG-Center, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Manuela Zimmer
- Institute of Structural Mechanics and Dynamics in Aerospace Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
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Zimmer M, Kleiser B, Marquetand J, Ates F. Characterization of Muscle Weakness Due to Myasthenia Gravis Using Shear Wave Elastography. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13061108. [PMID: 36980415 PMCID: PMC10047651 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13061108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is often accompanied with muscle weakness; however, little is known about mechanical adaptions of the affected muscles. As the latter can be assessed using ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE), this study characterizes the biceps brachii muscle of 11 patients with MG and compares them with that of 14 healthy volunteers. Simultaneous SWE, elbow torque and surface electromyography measurements were performed during rest, maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and submaximal isometric contractions (up to 25%, 50% and 75% MVC) at different elbow angles from flexion to extension. We found that, with increasing elbow angle, maximum elbow torque decreased (p < 0.001), whereas muscle stiffness increased during rest (p = 0.001), MVC (p = 0.004) and submaximal contractions (p < 0.001). Muscle stiffness increased with increasing contraction intensities during submaximal contractions (p < 0.001). In comparison to the healthy cohort, muscle stiffness of MG patients was 2.1 times higher at rest (p < 0.001) but 8.93% lower in active state (75% MVC, p = 0.044). We conclude that (i) increased muscle stiffness shown by SWE during rest might be an indicator of MG, (ii) SWE reflects muscle weakness and (iii) SWE can be used to characterize MG muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Zimmer
- Institute of Structural Mechanics and Dynamics in Aerospace Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 27, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-(711)-685-69528
| | - Benedict Kleiser
- Department of Epileptology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Justus Marquetand
- Department of Epileptology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Neural Dynamics and Magnetoencephalography, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- MEG-Center, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 47, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Filiz Ates
- Institute of Structural Mechanics and Dynamics in Aerospace Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 27, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
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Shear Wave Elastography in Bruxism-Not Yet Ready for Clinical Routine. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13020276. [PMID: 36673086 PMCID: PMC9857449 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13020276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) is an emerging modality for the estimation of stiffness, but it has not been studied in relation to common disorders with altered stiffness, such as bruxism, which affects almost one-third of adults. Because this condition could lead to an increased stiffness of masticatory muscles, we investigated SWE in bruxism according to a proof-of-principle and feasibility study with 10 patients with known bruxism and an age- and gender-matched control group. SWE of the left and right masseter muscles was estimated under three conditions: relaxed jaw, 50% of the subjective maximal bite force, and maximal jaw opening. Rejecting the null hypothesis, SWE was significantly increased during relaxed jaw (bruxism 1.92 m/s ± 0.44; controls 1.66 m/s ± 0.24), whereas for maximal mouth opening, the result was vice versa increased with 2.89 m/s ± 0.93 for bruxism patients compared with 3.53 m/s ± 0.95 in the healthy control, which could be due to limited jaw movement in chronic bruxism patients (bruxism 4.46 m/s ± 1.17; controls 5.23 m/s ± 0.43). We show that SWE in bruxism is feasible and could be of potential use for diagnostics and monitoring, though we also highlight important limitations and necessary methodological considerations for future studies.
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