title: Real time evaluation of monolateral clubfoot with sonoelastography. Preliminary results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to assess the real time elastosonography (RTE) as a primary diagnostic tool for the evaluation of mechanical properties of Achilles tendons in patients affected by not surgically treated monolateral clubfoot.
  
  
  METHODS
  six patients were evaluated, four males and two females, mean age 1.2 ± 1.3 months, treated with Ponseti method, and afterward, they underwent RTE examination of the Achilles tendon in club-foot. A following ROI (region of interest) was positioned on the distal third of the tendon and the obtained data was examined retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  in the examined cohort of patients, the mean value ROI 1/mean value ROI 2 ratio was 2.0 ± 0.18, with an increased red area in the RTE evaluation of the affected tendon, while in the contralateral foot the mean observed value was 2.50 ± 2.1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RTE is a feasible and simple technique, which allows the study of the mechanical properties of Achilles tendons in children with clubfoot.
authors.affiliation: University of Tor Vergata, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Molecular Imaging, Interventional Radiology and Radiation Therapy, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masala
authors.forename: Guglielmo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Manenti
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antonicoli
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morosetti
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Claroni
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simonetti
keywords: Achilles tendon; clubfoot; elastography