Axial speed of sound for the monitoring of injured equine tendons: a preliminary study.
Equine superficial digital flexor tendons (SDFT) are often injured, and they represent an excellent model for human sport tendinopathies. While lesions can be precisely diagnosed by clinical evaluation and ultrasonography, a prognosis is often difficult to establish; the knowledge of the injured tendon's mechanical properties would help in anticipating the outcome. The objectives of the present study were to compare the axial speed of sound (SOS) measured in vivo in normal and injured tendons and to investigate their relationship with the tendons' mechanical parameters, in order to assess the potential of quantitative axial ultrasound to monitor the healing of the injured tendons. SOS was measured in vivo in the right fore SDFTs of 12 horses during walk, before and 3.5 months after the surgical induction of a bilateral core lesion. The 12 horses were then euthanized, their SDFTs isolated and tested in tension to measure their elastic modulus and maximal load (and corresponding stress). SOS significantly decreased from 2179.4 ± 31.4 m/s in normal tendons to 2065.8 ± 67.1 m/s 3.5 months after the surgical induction, and the tendons' elastic modulus (0.90 ± 0.17 GPa) was found lower than what has been reported in normal tendons. While SOS was not correlated to tendon maximal load and corresponding stress, the SOS normalized on its value in normal tendons was correlated to the tendons' elastic modulus. These preliminary results confirm the potential of axial SOS in helping the functional assessment of injured tendon.
Université Paris-Est, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, USC BPLC 957, Maisons-Alfort F-94704, France. c.vergari@gmail.com
Claudio
C
Vergari
Philippe
P
Pourcelot
Bérangère
B
Ravary-Plumioën
Anne-Gaëlle
AG
Dupays
Sandrine
S
Jacquet
Fabrice
F
Audigié
Jean-Marie
JM
Denoix
Pascal
P
Laugier
David
D
Mitton
Nathalie
N
Crevier-Denoix
D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D055119:Elastic Modulus / Q000502:physiology; D005552:Forelimb / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries / Q000503:physiopathology; D006736:Horses / Q000293:injuries*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013710:Tendons / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology