title: The effect of foot position on Power Doppler Ultrasound grading of Achilles enthesitis.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine whether foot position could modify power Doppler grading in evaluation of the Achilles enthesis. Eighteen patients with clinical Achilles enthesitis were studied with power Doppler ultrasound (PDUS) in five different positions of the foot: active and passive dorsiflexion, neutral position, active and passive plantar flexion. The Doppler signal was graded in any position and compared with the others. The Doppler signal was higher with the foot in plantar flexion and decreased gradually, sometimes till to disappear, while increasing dorsiflexion. The Doppler signal was always less during the active keeping of the position of the joint, than during the passive. The PDUS examination of the Achilles enthesis should be performed also with the foot in passive plantar flexion, in order not to underestimate the degree of vascularization.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Medico-Chirurgico di Internistica Clinica e Sperimentale "F.Magrassi - A. Lanzara", Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, Naples, NA, Italy.
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zappia
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Medico-Chirurgico di Internistica Clinica e Sperimentale "F.Magrassi - A. Lanzara", Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, Naples, NA, Italy. giovanna.cuomo@unina2.it.|Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal and Experimental Medicine, Via Pansini, 5, 80130, Naples, Italy. giovanna.cuomo@unina2.it.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cuomo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina e di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi del Molise, Campobasso, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Medico-Chirurgico di Internistica Clinica e Sperimentale "F.Magrassi - A. Lanzara", Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, Naples, NA, Italy.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reginelli
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Medico-Chirurgico di Internistica Clinica e Sperimentale "F.Magrassi - A. Lanzara", Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, Naples, NA, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brunese
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D000070676:Enthesopathy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D033023:Foot Joints / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056888:Patient Positioning / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler
keywords: Achilles enthesitis; Power Doppler Ultrasound PDUS; Spondyloarthritis (SpA)