title: Ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and posterior tibialis dysfunction.
abstract: The authors studied posterior tibialis tendons in 31 subjects with posterior tibialis tendon pain to compare clinical findings with those of magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound images. All subjects received clinical, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging examinations using T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, and high resolution ultrasound using power Doppler. Forty-four tendons in 25 women and six men with a mean age 43.3 years (range, 20-73 years) were studied. Magnetic resonance imaging tendon and peritendon enhancement are associated statistically with increasing pain intensity on resistance to testing. Ultrasound tendon and peritendon flow were associated with increasing pain intensity on resistance to testing. There is no statistically significant association between magnetic resonance imaging inhomogeneity and pain intensity on resistance to testing. Clinical and ultrasound examinations positively identify peritendinitis and tendonitis but not inhomogeneity (partial tear) of the posterior tibialis tendon. The magnetic resonance imaging is a more sensitive test for posterior tibialis tendon tear than either clinical or ultrasound evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Medicine Department, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1604, USA. MPerry@cc.nih.gov
authors.forename: Monique B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: Ahalya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Premkumar
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Venzon
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Shawker
authors.forename: Lynn H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Gerber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis; D010147:Pain Measurement; D037081:Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography