title: Tendon quality in small unilateral supraspinatus tendon tears. Real-time sonoelastography correlates with clinical findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the feasibility of real-time sonoelastography in the assessment of the mechanical tendon properties in small unilateral supraspinatus tears, to describe the sonoelastographic properties of the torn supraspinatus tendons and to correlate real-time sonoelastography findings with clinical results and demographic data.
  
  
  METHODS
  All the patients presenting for a unilateral rotator cuff tear were prospectively scrutinized. Clinical evaluation included complete physical examination, VAS, Quick DASH, Constant-Murley score, Simple Shoulder Test, ASES score and UCLA score. Radiological evaluation was performed with conventional ultrasounds and real-time sonoelastography; this is a noninvasive method that uses ultrasounds to evaluate the mechanical properties of tissues, reflecting their quality, that can be semi-quantitatively estimated using the strain index. During the enrolment period, 92 patients were scrutinized, and 50 were included in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A negative correlation between strain index and VAS for pain, a strong positive correlation between strain index and Constant-Murley score and ASES score were found. Comparable results were observed in male and female patients, but in males, we found a strong positive correlation also for Simple Shoulder Test and UCLA score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Real-time sonoelastography was a feasible method applicable in the assessment of tendon quality in small supraspinatus tears, and its findings correlated with the clinical results of the patients. In day-by-day clinical practice, this information is very important because quality of tendons is one of the most important prognostic factors for surgeons performing rotator cuff repair.
  
  
  METHODS
  III.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133, Rome, Italy, cosimo.tudisco@uniroma2.it.
authors.forename: Cosimo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tudisco
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bisicchia
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stefanini
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antonicoli
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masala
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simonetti
mesh_terms: D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010808:Physical Examination; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries; D012421:Rupture / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013710:Tendons / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D064232:Visual Analog Scale