title: Sonoelastography of the Common Flexor Tendon of the Elbow with Histologic Agreement: A Cadaveric Study.
abstract: Purpose To determine the correlation of the results of conventional B-mode ultrasonography (US) and compression sonoelastography with histologic results in common flexor tendons of the elbow in human cadavers. Materials and Methods Twenty-five common flexor tendons were evaluated in 16 fresh, unembalmed cadavers of 11 women with a median age of 85 years (range, 71-101 years) and five men with a median age of 78 years (range, 70-88 years). Informed consent was provided according to the last will of the donors. B-mode US results were classified as grade 1, normal tendon with homogeneous fibrillar pattern; grade 2, tendon thickening or hypoechoic areas and/or calcifications in less than 30% of the tendon; or grade 3, hypoechoic areas and/or calcifications greater than 30% of the tendon. Sonoelastographic results were grade 1, blue (hardest) to green (hard); grade 2, yellow (soft); and grade 3, red (softest). The intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated to determine agreement with histologic findings for each B-mode US, sonoelastographic, and combined B-mode US and sonoelastographic examination. Histologic results were grade 1, normal, with parallel fibrillar pattern; grade 2, mild tendinopathy, with cellular infiltration, angiogenesis, or fatty vacuoles; or grade 3, severe tendinopathy, with loss of parallel collagen structure and necrosis. Results Histologic alterations were detected in 44% (11 of 25) of biopsy specimens. Intraclass correlation with histologic results was 0.57 for B-mode US, 0.68 for sonoelastography, and 0.84 for the combination of the two approaches. Conclusion The addition of sonoelastography to B-mode US provided statistically significant improvement in correlation with histologic results compared with the use of B-mode US alone (P < .02).©RSNA, 2016 Online supplemental material is available for this article.
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.S.K., M.J.P., M.M.H.A.E., L.G., W.R.J.), Anatomy (B.M.), Trauma Surgery (C.D.), Radiotherapy (J.S.), and Histology and Embryology (G.K.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; Department of Radiology and Urology, Jefferson Prostate Diagnostic and Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pa (E.J.H.); Department of Diagnostic Radiology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Egypt (M.M.H.A.E.); and Department of Medical Imaging, Banner-University Medical Center, Tucson, Ariz (M.S.T.).
authors.forename: Andrea S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Klauser
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.S.K., M.J.P., M.M.H.A.E., L.G., W.R.J.), Anatomy (B.M.), Trauma Surgery (C.D.), Radiotherapy (J.S.), and Histology and Embryology (G.K.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; Department of Radiology and Urology, Jefferson Prostate Diagnostic and Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pa (E.J.H.); Department of Diagnostic Radiology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Egypt (M.M.H.A.E.); and Department of Medical Imaging, Banner-University Medical Center, Tucson, Ariz (M.S.T.).
authors.forename: Mathias J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pamminger
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.S.K., M.J.P., M.M.H.A.E., L.G., W.R.J.), Anatomy (B.M.), Trauma Surgery (C.D.), Radiotherapy (J.S.), and Histology and Embryology (G.K.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; Department of Radiology and Urology, Jefferson Prostate Diagnostic and Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pa (E.J.H.); Department of Diagnostic Radiology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Egypt (M.M.H.A.E.); and Department of Medical Imaging, Banner-University Medical Center, Tucson, Ariz (M.S.T.).
authors.forename: Ethan J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Halpern
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.S.K., M.J.P., M.M.H.A.E., L.G., W.R.J.), Anatomy (B.M.), Trauma Surgery (C.D.), Radiotherapy (J.S.), and Histology and Embryology (G.K.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; Department of Radiology and Urology, Jefferson Prostate Diagnostic and Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pa (E.J.H.); Department of Diagnostic Radiology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Egypt (M.M.H.A.E.); and Department of Medical Imaging, Banner-University Medical Center, Tucson, Ariz (M.S.T.).
authors.forename: Mohamed M H
authors.initials: MMH
authors.lastname: Abd Ellah
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.S.K., M.J.P., M.M.H.A.E., L.G., W.R.J.), Anatomy (B.M.), Trauma Surgery (C.D.), Radiotherapy (J.S.), and Histology and Embryology (G.K.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; Department of Radiology and Urology, Jefferson Prostate Diagnostic and Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pa (E.J.H.); Department of Diagnostic Radiology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Egypt (M.M.H.A.E.); and Department of Medical Imaging, Banner-University Medical Center, Tucson, Ariz (M.S.T.).
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moriggl
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.S.K., M.J.P., M.M.H.A.E., L.G., W.R.J.), Anatomy (B.M.), Trauma Surgery (C.D.), Radiotherapy (J.S.), and Histology and Embryology (G.K.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; Department of Radiology and Urology, Jefferson Prostate Diagnostic and Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pa (E.J.H.); Department of Diagnostic Radiology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Egypt (M.M.H.A.E.); and Department of Medical Imaging, Banner-University Medical Center, Tucson, Ariz (M.S.T.).
authors.forename: Mihra S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Taljanovic
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.S.K., M.J.P., M.M.H.A.E., L.G., W.R.J.), Anatomy (B.M.), Trauma Surgery (C.D.), Radiotherapy (J.S.), and Histology and Embryology (G.K.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; Department of Radiology and Urology, Jefferson Prostate Diagnostic and Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pa (E.J.H.); Department of Diagnostic Radiology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Egypt (M.M.H.A.E.); and Department of Medical Imaging, Banner-University Medical Center, Tucson, Ariz (M.S.T.).
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deml
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.S.K., M.J.P., M.M.H.A.E., L.G., W.R.J.), Anatomy (B.M.), Trauma Surgery (C.D.), Radiotherapy (J.S.), and Histology and Embryology (G.K.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; Department of Radiology and Urology, Jefferson Prostate Diagnostic and Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pa (E.J.H.); Department of Diagnostic Radiology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Egypt (M.M.H.A.E.); and Department of Medical Imaging, Banner-University Medical Center, Tucson, Ariz (M.S.T.).
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sztankay
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.S.K., M.J.P., M.M.H.A.E., L.G., W.R.J.), Anatomy (B.M.), Trauma Surgery (C.D.), Radiotherapy (J.S.), and Histology and Embryology (G.K.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; Department of Radiology and Urology, Jefferson Prostate Diagnostic and Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pa (E.J.H.); Department of Diagnostic Radiology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Egypt (M.M.H.A.E.); and Department of Medical Imaging, Banner-University Medical Center, Tucson, Ariz (M.S.T.).
authors.forename: Guenter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Klima
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.S.K., M.J.P., M.M.H.A.E., L.G., W.R.J.), Anatomy (B.M.), Trauma Surgery (C.D.), Radiotherapy (J.S.), and Histology and Embryology (G.K.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; Department of Radiology and Urology, Jefferson Prostate Diagnostic and Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pa (E.J.H.); Department of Diagnostic Radiology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Egypt (M.M.H.A.E.); and Department of Medical Imaging, Banner-University Medical Center, Tucson, Ariz (M.S.T.).
authors.forename: Leonhard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.S.K., M.J.P., M.M.H.A.E., L.G., W.R.J.), Anatomy (B.M.), Trauma Surgery (C.D.), Radiotherapy (J.S.), and Histology and Embryology (G.K.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; Department of Radiology and Urology, Jefferson Prostate Diagnostic and Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pa (E.J.H.); Department of Diagnostic Radiology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Egypt (M.M.H.A.E.); and Department of Medical Imaging, Banner-University Medical Center, Tucson, Ariz (M.S.T.).
authors.forename: Werner R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Jaschke
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002102:Cadaver; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004551:Elbow Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D000070639:Elbow Tendinopathy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013710:Tendons / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*