title: Elasticity of the tibial nerve assessed by sonoelastography was reduced before the development of neuropathy and further deterioration associated with the severity of neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the elasticity of the tibial nerve using sonoelastography, and to associate it with diabetic neuropathy severity, the cross-sectional area of the tibial nerve and neurophysiological findings in type 2 diabetic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The elasticity of the tibial nerve was measured as the tibial nerve:acoustic coupler strain ratio using high-resolution ultrasonography in 198 type 2 diabetic patients stratified into subgroups by neuropathy severity, and 29 control participants whose age and sex did not differ from the diabetic subgroups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The elasticity of the tibial nerve in patients without neuropathy (P < 0.001) was reduced compared with controls (0.76 ± 0.023), further decreasing (0.655 ± 0.014 to 0.414 ± 0.018) after developing neuropathy. The cut-off value of elasticity of the tibial nerve that suggested the presence of neuropathy was 0.558. The area under the curve (0.829) was greater than that for the cross-sectional area (0.612). The cross-sectional area of the tibial nerve in diabetic patients without neuropathy (6.11 ± 0.13 mm(2)) was larger than that in controls (4.84 ± 0.16 mm(2)), and increased relative to neuropathy severity (P < 0.0001). The elasticity of the tibial nerve was negatively associated with neuropathy severity (P < 0.0001), cross-sectional area (P = 0.002) and 2000 Hz current perception threshold (P = 0.011), and positively associated with nerve conduction velocities (P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Determining the elasticity of the tibial nerve in type 2 diabetic patients could reveal early biomechanical changes that were likely caused by thickened fibrous sheaths of peripheral nerves, and might be a novel tool for characterizing diabetic neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Ishibashi Clinic Hiroshima Japan.
authors.forename: Fukashi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.affiliation: Ishibashi Clinic Hiroshima Japan.
authors.forename: Miki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.affiliation: Ishibashi Clinic Hiroshima Japan.
authors.forename: Rie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.affiliation: Ishibashi Clinic Hiroshima Japan.
authors.forename: Asami
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.affiliation: Ishibashi Clinic Hiroshima Japan.
authors.forename: Aiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kosaka
authors.affiliation: Ishibashi Clinic Hiroshima Japan.
authors.forename: Harumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uetake
mesh_terms: D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Diabetic neuropathy; Elasticity of tibial nerve; Sonoelastography