Quantifying Lower Limb Muscle Stiffness as Ambulation Function Declines in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy with Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Shear Wave Elastography

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive muscular disease, but validated imaging tools to quantify muscle microstructure alteration as mobility declines are lacking. We aimed to determine the feasibility of using acoustic radiation force impulse shear-wave elastography (ARFI/SWE) in the quantitative assessment of lower limb muscle stiffness in DMD patients. Shear wave velocities (SWVs) of lower limbs were measured in 39 DMD patients and 36 healthy controls aged 3 –20 y. Mean SWV values of the controls and of the DMD patients at different ambulatory stages were compared using analysis of variance with Bonferroni correction.
Source: Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Original Contribution Source Type: research