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Sample records for calcaneal quantitative ultrasound

  1. Comparison between the gold standard DXA with calcaneal quantitative ultrasound based-strategy (QUS) to detect osteoporosis in an HIV infected cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quiros Roldan, Eugenia; Brianese, Nigritella; Raffetti, Elena; Focà, Emanuele; Pezzoli, Maria Chiara; Bonito, Andrea; Ferraresi, Alice; Lanza, Paola; Porcelli, Teresa; Castelli, Francesco

    Osteoporosis represents one of the most frequent comorbidity among HIV patients. The current standard method for osteoporosis diagnosis is dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Calcaneal quantitative ultrasound can provide information about bone quality. The aims of this study are to compare these two methods and to evaluate their ability to screen for vertebral fracture. This cross-sectional study was conducted in HIV patients attending the Clinic of Infectious and Tropical Diseases of Brescia during 2014 and who underwent lumbar/femoral dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, vertebral fracture assessment and calcaneal quantitative ultrasound. The assessment of osteoporosis diagnostic accuracy was performed for calcaneal quantitative ultrasound and for vertebral fracture comparing them with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. We enrolled 73 patients and almost 48% of them had osteoporosis with at least one of the method used. Vertebral fracture were present in 27.4%. Among patients with normal bone measurements, we found vertebral fracture in proportion between 10% and 30%. If we used calcaneal quantitative ultrasound method and/or X-ray as screening, the percentages of possible savable dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry ranged from 12% to 89% and misclassification rates ranged from 0 to 24.6%. A combined strategy, calcaneal quantitative ultrasound and X-Ray, identified 67% of patients with low risk of osteoporosis, but 16.4% of patients were misclassified. We observed that patients with osteoporosis determined by calcaneal quantitative ultrasound and/or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry have higher probability to undergo vertebral fracture, but neither of them can be used for predicting vertebral fracture. Use of calcaneal quantitative ultrasound for screening is a reasonable alternative of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry since our study confirm that none strategy is clearly superior, but both screen tools must be always completed with X-ray. Copyright © 2017 Sociedade

  2. Correlation between Parameters of Calcaneal Quantitative Ultrasound and Hip Structural Analysis in Osteoporotic Fracture Patients.

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    Licheng Zhang

    Full Text Available Calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS, which is used in the evaluation of osteoporosis, is believed to be intimately associated with the characteristics of the proximal femur. However, the specific associations of calcaneal QUS with characteristics of the hip sub-regions remain unclear.A cross-sectional assessment of 53 osteoporotic patients was performed for the skeletal status of the heel and hip.We prospectively enrolled 53 female osteoporotic patients with femoral fractures. Calcaneal QUS, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA, and hip structural analysis (HSA were performed for each patient. Femoral heads were obtained during the surgery, and principal compressive trabeculae (PCT were extracted by a three-dimensional printing technique-assisted method. Pearson's correlation between QUS measurement with DXA, HSA-derived parameters and Young's modulus were calculated in order to evaluate the specific association of QUS with the parameters for the hip sub-regions, including the femoral neck, trochanteric and Ward's areas, and the femoral shaft, respectively.Significant correlations were found between estimated BMD (Est.BMD and BMD of different sub-regions of proximal femur. However, the correlation coefficient of trochanteric area (r = 0.356, p = 0.009 was higher than that of the neck area (r = 0.297, p = 0.031 and total proximal femur (r = 0.291, p = 0.034. Furthermore, the quantitative ultrasound index (QUI was significantly correlated with the HSA-derived parameters of the trochanteric area (r value: 0.315-0.356, all p<0.05 as well as with the Young's modulus of PCT from the femoral head (r = 0.589, p<0.001.The calcaneal bone had an intimate association with the trochanteric cancellous bone. To a certain extent, the parameters of the calcaneal QUS can reflect the characteristics of the trochanteric area of the proximal hip, although not specifically reflective of those of the femoral neck or shaft.

  3. Usefulness of calcaneal quantitative ultrasound stiffness for the evaluation of bone health in HIV-1-infected subjects: comparison with dual X-ray absorptiometry.

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    Fantauzzi, Alessandra; Floridia, Marco; Ceci, Fabrizio; Cacciatore, Francesco; Vullo, Vincenzo; Mezzaroma, Ivano

    2016-01-01

    With the development of effective treatments and the resulting increase in life expectancy, bone mineral density (BMD) alteration has emerged as an important comorbidity in human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals. The potential contributors to the pathogenesis of osteopenia/osteoporosis include a higher prevalence of risk factors, combined antiretroviral therapy (cART)-exposure, HIV-1 itself and chronic immune activation/inflammation. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the "gold standard" technique for assessing bone status in HIV-1 population. We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate bone mineral status in a group of 158 HIV-1-infected subjects. The primary endpoint was the feasibility of calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS) as a screening tool for BMD. All subjects were receiving stable cART and were virologically suppressed (HIV-RNA HIV-1-specific characteristics, also including cART strategies. In the univariate analyses BMD, QUS indexes, and Fracture Risk Assessment Tool scores conversely showed significant associations with one or more demographic or HIV-1-related variables. Moreover, a significant relationship between calcaneal quantitative ultrasound index/stiffness and femoral/lumbar BMD values from DXA was described. The multivariate analysis showed an independent association between calcaneal quantitative ultrasound index/stiffness and body mass index, higher CD4+ T-cell numbers and low 25-OH D2/D3 vitamin D levels HIV-1-infected patients for assessing bone health impairment. In fact, the results obtained confirm that calcaneal QUS may be useful for monitoring bone status, being a noninvasive and inexpensive technique, especially in those subjects with the classical traditional risk factors for bone damage that were observed earlier in HIV-1 population.

  4. Quantitative Ultrasound Measurements at the Heel

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Daugschies, M.; Brixen, K.; Hermann, P.

    2015-01-01

    Calcaneal quantitative ultrasound can be used to predict osteoporotic fracture risk, but its ability to monitor therapy is unclear possibly because of its limited precision. We developed a quantitative ultrasound device (foot ultrasound scanner) that measures the speed of sound at the heel...... with the foot ultrasound scanner reduced precision errors by half (p quantitative ultrasound measurements is feasible. (E-mail: m.daugschies@rad.uni-kiel.de) (C) 2015 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology....

  5. Normative calcaneal quantitative ultrasound data for the indigenous Shuar and non-Shuar Colonos of the Ecuadorian Amazon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madimenos, Felicia C; Snodgrass, J Josh; Blackwell, Aaron D; Liebert, Melissa A; Cepon, Tara J; Sugiyama, Lawrence S

    2011-01-01

    Minimal data on bone mineral density changes are available from populations in developing countries. Using calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS) techniques, the current study contributes to remedying this gap in the literature by establishing a normative data set on the indigenous Shuar and non-Shuar Colonos of the Ecuadorian Amazon. The paucity of bone mineral density (BMD) data from populations in developing countries partially reflects the lack of diagnostic resources in these areas. Portable QUS techniques now enable researchers to collect bone health data in remote field-based settings and to contribute normative data from developing regions. The main objective of this study is to establish normative QUS data for two Ecuadorian Amazonian populations-the indigenous Shuar and non-Shuar Colonos. The effects of ethnic group, sex, age, and body size on QUS parameters are also considered. A study cohort consisting of 227 Shuar and 261 Colonos (15-91 years old) were recruited from several small rural Ecuadorian communities in the Upano River Valley. Calcaneal QUS parameters were collected on the right heel of each participant using a Sahara bone sonometer. Three ultrasound generated parameters were employed: broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA), speed of sound (SOS), and calculated heel BMD (hBMD). In both populations and sexes, all QUS values were progressively lower with advancing age. Shuar have significantly higher QUS values than Colonos, with most pronounced differences found between pre-menopausal Shuar and Colono females. Multiple regression analyses show that age is a key predictor of QUS while weight alone is a less consistent determinant. Both Shuar males and females display comparatively greater QUS parameters than other reference populations. These normative data for three calcaneal QUS parameters will be useful for predicting fracture risk and determining diagnostic QUS criteria of osteoporosis in non-industrialized populations in South America and

  6. Effectiveness of using ultrasound therapy and manual therapy in the conservative treatment of calcaneal spur – pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Twarowska Natalia

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Calcaneal spur is a pathology of the fibrocartilage enthesis of the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia or a pathology of the mixed enthesis of the flexor digitorum brevis muscle. Ultrasound therapy is commonly applied in the conservative treatment of a calcaneal spur. Foot muscle strengthening exercises, stretching exercises and soft tissue therapy are indicated as effective methods of conservative treatment. The aim of the study was to compare and assess the effects of ultrasound therapy and selected techniques of manual therapy on pain level and functional state in patients with calcaneal spur.

  7. Calcaneal tendon: imaging findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montandon, Cristiano; Fonseca, Cristiano Rezio; Montandon Junior, Marcelo Eustaquio; Lobo, Leonardo Valadares; Ribeiro, Flavia Aparecida de Souza; Teixeira, Kim-Ir-Sen Santos

    2003-01-01

    We reviewed the radiological and clinical features of 23 patients with calcaneal tendon diseases, who were submitted to ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging. The objective of this study was to characterize the lesions for a precise diagnosis of calcaneal tendon injuries. A wide range of calcaneal tendon diseases include degenerative lesions, inflammation of the peritendinous tissue such as peritendinitis and bursitis, and rupture. Imaging methods are essential in the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of calcaneal tendon diseases. (author)

  8. Clinical usefulness of calcaneal measurements using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kohno, Jun; Nakata, Tomoko; Ito, Masako

    1999-01-01

    To investigate the clinical usefulness of calcaneal measurement using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), the ability to detect bone loss and fracture risk were evaluated in comparison with spinal bone mineral density (BMD) measured using DXA and quantitative CT (QCT) and with calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS). Furthermore, to investigate the region in calcaneus in which to detect bone change sensitively, the ability to detect bone loss and fracture risk were also evaluated using new regions of interest (ROIs) that were manually defined. The subjects were 165 healthy women, and 188 female patients with fracture, estrogen deficiency, and steroid-induced osteoporosis. Calcaneal BMD with some manually defined ROIs showed lower precision and less sensitivity in detecting bone loss than BMD measured with automatically defined ROIs. Calcaneal DXA, spinal DXA, and QCT demonstrated significant age-related bone loss, and all measurements could discriminate fracture cases from non-fracture cases. Calcaneal DXA could discriminate the bone loss associated with estrogen deficiency as well as spinal DXA. Furthermore, calcaneal measurements showed a greater ability to detect steroid-induced bone loss than spinal DXA, probably because this group included subjects of advanced age with spondylosis. In conclusion, calcaneal DXA is useful to assess BMD in subjects who are not suitable for spinal measurement, although the ability to detect age-related bone loss in calcaneal DXA is less than in spinal measurements. (author)

  9. Calcaneal tendon: imaging findings; Tendao calcaneo: avaliacao por imagem

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Montandon, Cristiano; Fonseca, Cristiano Rezio; Montandon Junior, Marcelo Eustaquio [Colegio Brasileiro de Radiologia e Diagnostico por Imagem, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)]. E-mail: crismontandon@hotmail.com; Lobo, Leonardo Valadares; Ribeiro, Flavia Aparecida de Souza; Teixeira, Kim-Ir-Sen Santos [Goias Univ., Goiania, GO (Brazil). Hospital de Clinicas. Dept. de Diagnostico por Imagem e Anatomia Patologica

    2003-12-01

    We reviewed the radiological and clinical features of 23 patients with calcaneal tendon diseases, who were submitted to ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging. The objective of this study was to characterize the lesions for a precise diagnosis of calcaneal tendon injuries. A wide range of calcaneal tendon diseases include degenerative lesions, inflammation of the peritendinous tissue such as peritendinitis and bursitis, and rupture. Imaging methods are essential in the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of calcaneal tendon diseases. (author)

  10. Calcaneal Quantitative Ultrasound Indicates Reduced Bone Status Among Physically Active Adult Forager-Horticulturalists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stieglitz, Jonathan; Madimenos, Felicia; Kaplan, Hillard; Gurven, Michael

    2016-03-01

    Sedentary lifestyle contributes to osteoporosis and fragility fracture risks among modern humans, but whether such risks are prevalent in physically active preindustrial societies with lower life expectancies is unclear. Osteoporosis should be readily observable in preindustrial societies if it was regularly experienced over human history. In this study of 142 older adult Tsimane forager-horticulturalists (mean age ± SD, 62.1 ± 8.6 years; range, 50 to 85 years; 51% female) we used calcaneal quantitative ultrasonography (qUS) to assess bone status, document prevalence of adults with reduced bone status, and identify factors (demographic, anthropometric, immunological, kinesthetic) associated with reduced bone status. Men (23%) are as likely as women (25%) to have reduced bone status, although age-related decline in qUS parameters is attenuated for men. Adiposity and fat-free mass positively co-vary with qUS parameters for women but not men. Leukocyte count is inversely associated with qUS parameters controlling for potential confounders; leukocyte count is positively correlated within adults over time, and adults with persistently low counts have higher adjusted qUS parameters (6% to 8%) than adults with a high count. Reduced bone status characteristic of osteoporosis is common among active Tsimane with minimal exposure to osteoporosis risk factors found in industrialized societies, but with energetic constraints and high pathogen burden. © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

  11. The association between bone health indicated by calcaneal quantitative ultrasound and metabolic syndrome in Malaysian men.

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    Chin, Kok-Yong; Ima-Nirwana, Soelaiman; Mohamed, Isa Naina; Ahmad, Fairus; Mohd Ramli, Elvy Suhana; Aminuddin, Amilia; Wan Ngah, Wan Zurinah

    2015-01-01

    Previous studies on the relationship between bone health and metabolic syndrome (MS) have revealed heterogeneous results. There are limited studies employing bone quantitative ultrasonometry in evaluating this relationship. This study aimed to determine the relationship between MS and bone health in a group of Malaysian middle-aged and elderly men using bone quantitative ultrasonometry. This cross-sectional study recruited 309 free living Chinese and Malay men aged 40 years and above residing in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Their demographic and anthropometric data were collected. Their calcaneal speed of sound (SOS) was measured using a CM-200 bone ultrasonometer. Their blood was collected for the evaluation of lipid profile, total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin. The joint interim MS definition was used for the classification of subjects. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess the association between SOS and indicators of MS and the presence of MS, with suitable adjustment for confounders. There was no significant difference in SOS value between MS and non-MS subjects (p > 0.05). The SOS values among subjects with different MS scores did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). There were no significant associations between SOS values and indicators of MS or the presence of MS (p > 0.05). The relationship between bone health and MS is not significant in Malaysian middle-aged and elderly men. A longitudinal study should be conducted to evaluate the association between bone loss and MS to confirm this finding.

  12. Factors Associated with Bone Health in Malaysian Middle-Aged and Elderly Women Assessed via Quantitative Ultrasound.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chin, Kok-Yong; Low, Nie Yen; Dewiputri, Wan Ilma; Ima-Nirwanaa, Soelaiman

    2017-07-06

    Risk factors for osteoporosis may vary according to different populations. We aimed to investigate the relationship between risk factors of osteoporosis and bone health indices determined via calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS) in a group of Malaysian women aged 50 years or above. A cross-sectional study was performed on 344 Malaysian women recruited from a tertiary medical centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They answered a self-administered questionnaire on their social-demographic details, medical history, lifestyle, and physical activity status. Their height was measured using a stadiometer, and their body composition estimated using a bioelectrical impedance device. Their bone health status was determined using a water-based calcaneal QUS device that generated three indices, namely speed of sound (SOS), broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA), and stiffness index (SI). A T-score was computed from SI values using a reference database from a mainland Chinese population. Women with three or more lifetime pregnancies, who were underweight and not drinking coffee had a significantly lower BUA. Stepwise multiple linear regression showed that SOS was predicted by age alone, BUA and SI by years since menopause, body mass index (BMI), and number of lifetime pregnancies, and T-score by years since menopause and percentage of body fat. As a conclusion, suboptimal bone health in middle-aged and elderly Malaysian women as indicated by QUS is associated with old age, being underweight, having a high body fat percentage, and a high number of lifetime pregnancies. Women having several risk factors should be monitored more closely to protect their bones against accelerated bone loss.

  13. Clinical Conformity Between Heel Ultrasound and Densitometry in Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabor, Elżbieta; Pluskiewicz, Wojciech; Tabor, Kamil

    2018-02-01

    To assess the conformity between heel ultrasound and densitometry, and the clinical application of densitometry T-score "gold standard" in quantitative ultrasound as a method of osteoporosis diagnosis in postmenopausal women. The study is a systematic review of studies published in the last 17 years in PubMed, NLM Gateway, Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Calcaneal quantitative ultrasound sensitivity and specificity were analyzed with regard to densitometry measurements in postmenopausal women. In addition, we summarized the values of ultrasound T-scores, for which their accuracy in osteoporosis diagnosis is the highest. The inclusion criteria met 15 research studies conducted on postmenopausal women. In 11 of them, the authors concluded that clinical conformity between heel ultrasound and densitometry is good. The recommended quantitative ultrasound T-score for osteoporosis diagnosis ranged between -1 and -3.65. Heel ultrasound should be considered to be as accurate as densitometry in diagnosing osteoporosis. Nevertheless, it needs to have separate T-score ranges determined, because those used in densitometry are not adequate. © 2017 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

  14. Assessment of the bone quality of black male athletes using calcaneal ultrasound: a cross-sectional study

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    Sendeht Ayuba J

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Lifestyle, genetics and environmental factors are established determinants of bone density. We aimed to describe the bone characteristics of competitive top-ranked Nigerian male athletes using calcaneal ultrasound and to assess whether intensive training promotes higher bone density in an environment with reportedly low calcium intake; to compare the bone characteristics of footballers with runners and other sportsmen; and to assess the correlation of stiffness index (SI with activity level, since energy expenditure correlates with length of training and by extension, magnitude of skeletal loading. Methods We recruited 102 male athletes: these included football (n = 68, running (n = 15, handball (n = 7, taekwando (n = 6, cycling (n = 2, judo (1, badminton (1 and high jump (1. Anthropometric data were first recorded on a structured form and energy expenditure was indirectly estimated with a validated questionnaire. Bone density was assessed using the Lunar Achilles+ calcaneal ultrasonometer. Results The mean age of athletes was 25 ± 6 years. The means of BMI and energy expenditure were 21.9 ± 2.0 kg/m2 and 35.0 ± 13.7 kcal/kg/day, respectively. Footballers were younger (p Conclusion Repetitive skeletal loading at the heel has the potential to improve bone density in black male athletes. The magnitude of increase may be higher in medium impact sports such as soccer and running compared with low or non-impact sports such as judo or taekwando, and is independent of age and BMI. However, future longitudinal data will be required to support our observations.

  15. Operative treatment of intra-articular calcaneal fractures with calcaneal plates and its complications

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    Rak Vaclav

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: In a retrospective study we analysed intra-articular calcaneal fracture treatment by comparing results and complications related to fracture stabilization with nonlocking calcaneal plates and locking compression plates. Materials and Methods: We performed 76 osteosynthesis (67 patients of intra-articular calcaneal fractures using the standard extended lateral approach from February 2004 to October 2007. Forty-two operations using nonlocking calcaneal plates (group A were performed during the first three years, and 34 calcaneal fractures were stabilized using locking compression plates (group B in 2007. In the Sanders type IV fractures, reconstruction of the calcaneal shape was attempted. Depending on the type of late complication, we performed subtalar arthroscopy in six cases, arthroscopically assisted subtalar distraction bone block arthrodesis in six cases, and plate removal with lateral-wall decompression in five cases. The patients were evaluated by the AOFAS Ankle-Hindfoot Scale. Results: Wound healing complications were 7/42 (17% in group A and 1/34 (3% in group B. No patient had deep osseous infection or foot rebound compartment syndrome. Preoperative size of Bφhler´s angle correlated with postoperative clinical results in both groups. There were no late complications necessitating corrective procedure or arthroscopy until December 2008 in Group B. All late complications ccurred in Group A. The overall results according to the AOFAS Ankle Hindfoot Scale were good or excellent in 23/42 (55% in group A and in 30/34 (85% in group B. Conclusion: Open reduction and internal fixation of intra-articular calcaneal fractures has become a standard surgical method. Fewer complications and better results related to treatment with locking compression plates confirmed in comparison to nonlocking ones were noted for all Sanders types of intra-articular calcaneal fractures. Age and Sanders type IV fractures are not considered to be the

  16. Calcaneal fracture classification: a comparative study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schepers, Tim; van Lieshout, Esther M. M.; Ginai, Abida Z.; Mulder, Paul G. H.; Heetveld, Martin J.; Patka, Peter

    2009-01-01

    Comparing different types of calcaneal fractures, associated treatment options, and outcome data is currently hampered by the lack of consensus regarding fracture classification. A systematic search for articles dealing with calcaneal fracture was performed, and the prevalence of use of each

  17. Multiparametric Quantitative Ultrasound Imaging in Assessment of Chronic Kidney Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Jing; Perlman, Alan; Kalache, Safa; Berman, Nathaniel; Seshan, Surya; Salvatore, Steven; Smith, Lindsey; Wehrli, Natasha; Waldron, Levi; Kodali, Hanish; Chevalier, James

    2017-11-01

    To evaluate the value of multiparametric quantitative ultrasound imaging in assessing chronic kidney disease (CKD) using kidney biopsy pathologic findings as reference standards. We prospectively measured multiparametric quantitative ultrasound markers with grayscale, spectral Doppler, and acoustic radiation force impulse imaging in 25 patients with CKD before kidney biopsy and 10 healthy volunteers. Based on all pathologic (glomerulosclerosis, interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy, arteriosclerosis, and edema) scores, the patients with CKD were classified into mild (no grade 3 and quantitative ultrasound parameters included kidney length, cortical thickness, pixel intensity, parenchymal shear wave velocity, intrarenal artery peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), and resistive index. We tested the difference in quantitative ultrasound parameters among mild CKD, moderate to severe CKD, and healthy controls using analysis of variance, analyzed correlations of quantitative ultrasound parameters with pathologic scores and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) using Pearson correlation coefficients, and examined the diagnostic performance of quantitative ultrasound parameters in determining moderate CKD and an estimated GFR of less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. There were significant differences in cortical thickness, pixel intensity, PSV, and EDV among the 3 groups (all P quantitative ultrasound parameters, the top areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for PSV and EDV were 0.88 and 0.97, respectively, for determining pathologic moderate to severe CKD, and 0.76 and 0.86 for estimated GFR of less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 . Moderate to good correlations were found for PSV, EDV, and pixel intensity with pathologic scores and estimated GFR. The PSV, EDV, and pixel intensity are valuable in determining moderate to severe CKD. The value of shear wave velocity in

  18. Quantitative ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging for the assessment of vascular parameters

    CERN Document Server

    Meiburger, Kristen M

    2017-01-01

    This book describes the development of quantitative techniques for ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging in the assessment of architectural and vascular parameters. It presents morphological vascular research based on the development of quantitative imaging techniques for the use of clinical B-mode ultrasound images, and preclinical architectural vascular investigations on quantitative imaging techniques for ultrasounds and photoacoustics. The book is divided into two main parts, the first of which focuses on the development and validation of quantitative techniques for the assessment of vascular morphological parameters that can be extracted from B-mode ultrasound longitudinal images of the common carotid artery. In turn, the second part highlights quantitative imaging techniques for assessing the architectural parameters of vasculature that can be extracted from 3D volumes, using both contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging and photoacoustic imaging without the addition of any contrast agent. Sharing and...

  19. Low-frequency quantitative ultrasound imaging of cell death in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sadeghi-Naini, Ali; Falou, Omar; Czarnota, Gregory J.; Papanicolau, Naum; Tadayyon, Hadi; Lee, Justin; Zubovits, Judit; Sadeghian, Alireza; Karshafian, Raffi; Al-Mahrouki, Azza; Giles, Anoja; Kolios, Michael C.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: Currently, no clinical imaging modality is used routinely to assess tumor response to cancer therapies within hours to days of the delivery of treatment. Here, the authors demonstrate the efficacy of ultrasound at a clinically relevant frequency to quantitatively detect changes in tumors in response to cancer therapies using preclinical mouse models.Methods: Conventional low-frequency and corresponding high-frequency ultrasound (ranging from 4 to 28 MHz) were used along with quantitative spectroscopic and signal envelope statistical analyses on data obtained from xenograft tumors treated with chemotherapy, x-ray radiation, as well as a novel vascular targeting microbubble therapy.Results: Ultrasound-based spectroscopic biomarkers indicated significant changes in cell-death associated parameters in responsive tumors. Specifically changes in the midband fit, spectral slope, and 0-MHz intercept biomarkers were investigated for different types of treatment and demonstrated cell-death related changes. The midband fit and 0-MHz intercept biomarker derived from low-frequency data demonstrated increases ranging approximately from 0 to 6 dBr and 0 to 8 dBr, respectively, depending on treatments administrated. These data paralleled results observed for high-frequency ultrasound data. Statistical analysis of ultrasound signal envelope was performed as an alternative method to obtain histogram-based biomarkers and provided confirmatory results. Histological analysis of tumor specimens indicated up to 61% cell death present in the tumors depending on treatments administered, consistent with quantitative ultrasound findings indicating cell death. Ultrasound-based spectroscopic biomarkers demonstrated a good correlation with histological morphological findings indicative of cell death (r 2 = 0.71, 0.82; p < 0.001).Conclusions: In summary, the results provide preclinical evidence, for the first time, that quantitative ultrasound used at a clinically relevant frequency, in

  20. Low-frequency quantitative ultrasound imaging of cell death in vivo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sadeghi-Naini, Ali; Falou, Omar; Czarnota, Gregory J. [Imaging Research – Physical Science, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5 (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5 (Canada); Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5 (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5 (Canada); Papanicolau, Naum; Tadayyon, Hadi [Imaging Research – Physical Science, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada and Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5 (Canada); Lee, Justin [Department of Radiation Oncology, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada and Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5 (Canada); Zubovits, Judit [Department of Pathology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5 (Canada); Sadeghian, Alireza [Department of Computer Science, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3 (Canada); Karshafian, Raffi [Department of Physics, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3 (Canada); Al-Mahrouki, Azza; Giles, Anoja [Imaging Research – Physical Science, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada and Department of Radiation Oncology, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5 (Canada); Kolios, Michael C. [Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada and Department of Physics, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3 (Canada)

    2013-08-15

    Purpose: Currently, no clinical imaging modality is used routinely to assess tumor response to cancer therapies within hours to days of the delivery of treatment. Here, the authors demonstrate the efficacy of ultrasound at a clinically relevant frequency to quantitatively detect changes in tumors in response to cancer therapies using preclinical mouse models.Methods: Conventional low-frequency and corresponding high-frequency ultrasound (ranging from 4 to 28 MHz) were used along with quantitative spectroscopic and signal envelope statistical analyses on data obtained from xenograft tumors treated with chemotherapy, x-ray radiation, as well as a novel vascular targeting microbubble therapy.Results: Ultrasound-based spectroscopic biomarkers indicated significant changes in cell-death associated parameters in responsive tumors. Specifically changes in the midband fit, spectral slope, and 0-MHz intercept biomarkers were investigated for different types of treatment and demonstrated cell-death related changes. The midband fit and 0-MHz intercept biomarker derived from low-frequency data demonstrated increases ranging approximately from 0 to 6 dBr and 0 to 8 dBr, respectively, depending on treatments administrated. These data paralleled results observed for high-frequency ultrasound data. Statistical analysis of ultrasound signal envelope was performed as an alternative method to obtain histogram-based biomarkers and provided confirmatory results. Histological analysis of tumor specimens indicated up to 61% cell death present in the tumors depending on treatments administered, consistent with quantitative ultrasound findings indicating cell death. Ultrasound-based spectroscopic biomarkers demonstrated a good correlation with histological morphological findings indicative of cell death (r{sup 2}= 0.71, 0.82; p < 0.001).Conclusions: In summary, the results provide preclinical evidence, for the first time, that quantitative ultrasound used at a clinically relevant frequency

  1. The influence of dairy consumption and physical activity on ultrasound bone measurements in Flemish children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Smet, Stephanie; Michels, Nathalie; Polfliet, Carolien; D'Haese, Sara; Roggen, Inge; De Henauw, Stefaan; Sioen, Isabelle

    2015-03-01

    The study's aim was to analyse whether children's bone status, assessed by calcaneal ultrasound measurements, is influenced by dairy consumption and objectively measured physical activity (PA). Moreover, the interaction between dairy consumption and PA on bone mass was studied. Participants of this cross-sectional study were 306 Flemish children (6-12 years). Body composition was measured with air displacement plethysmography (BodPod), dairy consumption with a Food Frequency Questionnaire, PA with an accelerometer (only in 234 of the 306 children) and bone mass with quantitative ultrasound, quantifying speed of sound (SOS), broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and Stiffness Index (SI). Regression analyses were used to study the associations between dairy consumption, PA, SOS, BUA and SI. Total dairy consumption and non-cheese dairy consumption were positively associated with SOS and SI, but no significant association could be demonstrated with BUA. In contrast, milk consumption, disregarding other dairy products, had no significant effect on calcaneal bone measurements. PA [vigorous PA, moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and counts per minute] was positively associated and sedentary time was negatively associated with BUA and SI, but no significant influence on SOS could be detected. Dairy consumption and PA (sedentary time and MVPA) did not show any interaction influencing bone measurements. In conclusion, even at young age, PA and dairy consumption positively influence bone mass. Promoting PA and dairy consumption in young children may, therefore, maximize peak bone mass, an important protective factor against osteoporosis later in life.

  2. Peroneal tendon displacement accompanying intra-articular calcaneal fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toussaint, Rull James; Lin, Darius; Ehrlichman, Lauren K; Ellington, J Kent; Strasser, Nicholas; Kwon, John Y

    2014-02-19

    Peroneal tendon displacement (subluxation or dislocation) accompanying an intra-articular calcaneal fracture is often undetected and under-treated. The goals of this study were to determine (1) the prevalence of peroneal tendon displacement accompanying intra-articular calcaneal fractures, (2) the association of tendon displacement with fracture classifications, (3) the association of tendon displacement with heel width, and (4) the rate of missed diagnosis of the tendon displacement on radiographs and computed tomography (CT) scans and the resulting treatment rate. A retrospective radiographic review of all calcaneal fractures presenting at three institutions from June 30, 2006, to June 30, 2011, was performed. CT imaging of 421 intra-articular calcaneal fractures involving the posterior facet was available for review. The prevalence of peroneal tendon displacement was noted and its associations with fracture classification and heel width were evaluated. Peroneal tendon displacement was identified in 118 (28.0%) of the 421 calcaneal fracture cases. The presence of tendon displacement was significantly associated with joint-depression fractures compared with tongue-type fractures (p displacement had been identified in the radiology reports. Although sixty-five (55.1%) of the fractures with tendon displacement had been treated with internal fixation, the tendon displacement was treated surgically in only seven (10.8%) of these cases. Analysis of CT images showed a 28% prevalence of peroneal tendon displacement accompanying intra-articular calcaneal fractures. Surgeons and radiologists are encouraged to consider this association.

  3. Quantitative ultrasound characterization of tumor cell death: ultrasound-stimulated microbubbles for radiation enhancement.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyunjung Christina Kim

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of quantitative ultrasound imaging in characterizing cancer cell death caused by enhanced radiation treatments. This investigation focused on developing this ultrasound modality as an imaging-based non-invasive method that can be used to monitor therapeutic ultrasound and radiation effects. High-frequency (25 MHz ultrasound was used to image tumor responses caused by ultrasound-stimulated microbubbles in combination with radiation. Human prostate xenografts grown in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID mice were treated using 8, 80, or 1000 µL/kg of microbubbles stimulated with ultrasound at 250, 570, or 750 kPa, and exposed to 0, 2, or 8 Gy of radiation. Tumors were imaged prior to treatment and 24 hours after treatment. Spectral analysis of images acquired from treated tumors revealed overall increases in ultrasound backscatter intensity and the spectral intercept parameter. The increase in backscatter intensity compared to the control ranged from 1.9±1.6 dB for the clinical imaging dose of microbubbles (8 µL/kg, 250 kPa, 2 Gy to 7.0±4.1 dB for the most extreme treatment condition (1000 µL/kg, 750 kPa, 8 Gy. In parallel, in situ end-labelling (ISEL staining, ceramide, and cyclophilin A staining demonstrated increases in cell death due to DNA fragmentation, ceramide-mediated apoptosis, and release of cyclophilin A as a result of cell membrane permeabilization, respectively. Quantitative ultrasound results indicated changes that paralleled increases in cell death observed from histology analyses supporting its use for non-invasive monitoring of cancer treatment outcomes.

  4. Plantar calcaneal spurs in older people: longitudinal traction or vertical compression?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Landorf Karl B

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Plantar calcaneal spurs are common, however their pathophysiology is poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and correlates of plantar calcaneal spurs in a large sample of older people. Methods Weightbearing lateral foot radiographs of 216 people (140 women and 76 men aged 62 to 94 years (mean age 75.9, SD 6.6 were examined for plantar calcaneal and Achilles tendon spurs. Associations between the presence of spurs and sex, body mass index, radiographic measures of foot posture, self-reported co-morbidities and current or previous heel pain were then explored. Results Of the 216 participants, 119 (55% had at least one plantar calcaneal spur and 103 (48% had at least one Achilles tendon spur. Those with plantar calcaneal spurs were more likely to have Achilles tendon spurs (odds ratio [OR] = 2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2 to 3.5. Prevalence of spurs did not differ according to sex. Participants with plantar calcaneal spurs were more likely to be obese (OR = 7.9, 95% CI 3.6 to 17.0, report osteoarthritis (OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.6 to 4.8 and have current or previous heel pain (OR = 4.6, 95% CI 2.3 to 9.4. No relationship was found between the presence of calcaneal spurs and radiographic measures of foot posture. Conclusion Calcaneal spurs are common in older men and women and are related to obesity, osteoarthritis and current or previous heel pain, but are unrelated to radiographic measurements of foot posture. These findings support the theory that plantar calcaneal spurs may be an adaptive response to vertical compression of the heel rather than longitudinal traction at the calcaneal enthesis.

  5. Evolution and Allometry of Calcaneal Elongation in Living and Extinct Primates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyer, Doug M.; Seiffert, Erik R.; Gladman, Justin T.; Bloch, Jonathan I.

    2013-01-01

    Specialized acrobatic leaping has been recognized as a key adaptive trait tied to the origin and subsequent radiation of euprimates based on its observed frequency in extant primates and inferred frequency in extinct early euprimates. Hypothesized skeletal correlates include elongated tarsal elements, which would be expected to aid leaping by allowing for increased rates and durations of propulsive acceleration at takeoff. Alternatively, authors of a recent study argued that pronounced distal calcaneal elongation of euprimates (compared to other mammalian taxa) was related primarily to specialized pedal grasping. Testing for correlations between calcaneal elongation and leaping versus grasping is complicated by body size differences and associated allometric affects. We re-assess allometric constraints on, and the functional significance of, calcaneal elongation using phylogenetic comparative methods, and present an evolutionary hypothesis for the evolution of calcaneal elongation in primates using a Bayesian approach to ancestral state reconstruction (ASR). Results show that among all primates, logged ratios of distal calcaneal length to total calcaneal length are inversely correlated with logged body mass proxies derived from the area of the calcaneal facet for the cuboid. Results from phylogenetic ANOVA on residuals from this allometric line suggest that deviations are explained by degree of leaping specialization in prosimians, but not anthropoids. Results from ASR suggest that non-allometric increases in calcaneal elongation began in the primate stem lineage and continued independently in haplorhines and strepsirrhines. Anthropoid and lorisid lineages show stasis and decreasing elongation, respectively. Initial increases in calcaneal elongation in primate evolution may be related to either development of hallucal-grasping or a combination of grasping and more specialized leaping behaviors. As has been previously suggested, subsequent increases in calcaneal

  6. Femur ultrasound (FemUS)-first clinical results on hip fracture discrimination and estimation of femoral BMD

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Barkmann, R; Dencks, S; Laugier, P

    2010-01-01

    has been introduced yet. We developed a QUS scanner for measurements at the femur (Femur Ultrasound Scanner, FemUS) and tested its in vivo performance. METHODS: Using the FemUS device, we obtained femoral QUS and DXA on 32 women with recent hip fractures and 30 controls. Fracture discrimination......A quantitative ultrasound (QUS) device for measurements at the proximal femur was developed and tested in vivo (Femur Ultrasound Scanner, FemUS). Hip fracture discrimination was as good as for DXA, and a high correlation with hip BMD was achieved. Our results show promise for enhanced QUS...... and the correlation with femur bone mineral density (BMD) were assessed. RESULTS: Hip fracture discrimination using the FemUS device was at least as good as with hip DXA and calcaneal QUS. Significant correlations with total hip bone mineral density were found with a correlation coefficient R (2) up to 0...

  7. Quantitative ultrasound imaging detects degenerative changes in articular cartilage surface and subchondral bone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saarakkala, Simo; Laasanen, Mikko S; Jurvelin, Jukka S; Toeyraes, Juha

    2006-01-01

    Previous studies have suggested that quantitative ultrasound imaging could sensitively diagnose degeneration of the articular surface and changes in the subchondral bone during the development of osteoarthrosis (OA). We have recently introduced a new parameter, ultrasound roughness index (URI), for the quantification of cartilage surface roughness, and successfully tested it with normal and experimentally degraded articular surfaces. In this in vitro study, the applicability of URI was tested in bovine cartilage samples with spontaneously developed tissue degeneration. Simultaneously, we studied the sensitivity of quantitative ultrasound imaging to detect degenerative changes in the cartilage-bone interface. For reference, histological degenerative grade of the cartilage samples was determined. Mechanical reference measurements were also conducted. Cartilage surface roughness (URI) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in histologically degenerated samples with inferior mechanical properties. Ultrasound reflection at the cartilage-bone interface was also significantly (p < 0.05) increased in degenerated samples. Furthermore, it was quantitatively confirmed that ultrasound attenuation in the overlying cartilage significantly affects the measured ultrasound reflection values from the cartilage-bone interface. To conclude, the combined ultrasound measurement of the cartilage surface roughness and ultrasound reflection at the cartilage-bone interface complement each other, and may together enable more sensitive and quantitative diagnosis of early OA or follow up after surgical cartilage repair

  8. Digital X-ray radiogrammetry better identifies osteoarthritis patients with a low bone mineral density than quantitative ultrasound

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goerres, Gerhard W. [University Hospital Zurich, Institute of Diagnostic Radiology, Department of Medical Radiology, Zurich (Switzerland); University Hospital Zurich, Osteoporosis Center, Zurich (Switzerland); Frey, Diana; Studer, Annina; Hauser, Dagmar; Zilic, Nathalie [University Hospital Zurich, Osteoporosis Center, Zurich (Switzerland); Hany, Thomas F. [University Hospital Zurich, Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Medical Radiology, Zurich (Switzerland); Seifert, Burkhardt [University of Zurich, Department of Biostatistics, Zurich (Switzerland); Haeuselmann, Hans J. [Center for Rheumatology and Bone Disease, Klinik im Park, Zurich (Switzerland); Michel, Beat A.; Uebelhart, Daniel [University Hospital Zurich, Osteoporosis Center, Zurich (Switzerland); University Hospital Zurich, Department of Rheumatology and Institute of Physical Medicine, Zurich (Switzerland); Hans, Didier [University Hospital Geneva, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Geneva (Switzerland)

    2007-04-15

    This study assessed the ability of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) and digital X-ray radiogrammetry (DXR) to identify osteopenia and osteoporosis in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). One hundred and sixty-one patients with painful knee OA (81 men, 80 women; age 62.6{+-}9.2 years, range 40-82 years) were included in this cross-sectional study and underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of both hips and the lumbar spine, QUS of the phalanges and calcanei of both hands and heels, and DXR using radiographs of both hands. Unpaired t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, ROC analysis and Spearman's rank correlation were used for comparisons and correlation of methods. Using DXA as the reference standard, we defined a low bone mineral density (BMD) as a T-score {<=}-1.0 at the lumbar spine or proximal femur. In contrast to phalangeal or calcaneal QUS, DXR was able to discriminate patients with a low BMD at the lumbar spine (p<0.0001) or hips (p<0.0001). ROC analysis showed that DXR had an acceptable predictive power in identifying OA patients a low hip BMD (sensitivity 70%, specificity 71%). Therefore, DXR used as a screening tool could help in identifying patients with knee OA for DXA. (orig.)

  9. Characteristic calcaneal ossification: an additional early radiographic finding in infants with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hasegawa, Sachi [Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nagoya, Aichi (Japan); Victoria, Teresa [Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Kayserili, Huelya [Koc University School of Medicine (KUSOM), Medical Genetics Department, Istanbul (Turkey); Zackai, Elaine [Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Medical Genetics, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Nishimura, Gen; Haga, Nobuhiko; Nakashima, Yasuharu; Miyazaki, Osamu [The Research Committee on Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, Tokyo (Japan); Kitoh, Hiroshi [Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nagoya, Aichi (Japan); The Research Committee on Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, Tokyo (Japan)

    2016-10-15

    We have clinically encountered children with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva who had abnormal calcaneal ossification. To evaluate whether calcaneal ossification variants are significant radiographic findings in children with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. Lateral feet radiographs in nine children who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva were reviewed. The studies were obtained during infancy or early childhood. Fourteen lateral foot radiographs of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva were available for this study (ages at examination: 1-104 months). Four children ages 2 months to 11 months showed double calcaneal ossification centers; 7 children had plantar calcaneal spurs that decreased in size with age. Overall, eight of nine children with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva demonstrated double calcaneal ossifications and/or plantar calcaneal spurs in infancy or childhood. Double calcaneal ossification centers in early infancy and plantar calcaneal spurs in childhood are frequently seen in children with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva and may be a useful radiologic indicator for early diagnosis. (orig.)

  10. Correlation between quantitative ultrasound parameters of the calcinosis and bone density of the spine and femur in Arabian women: Relation to menopausal status

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al Suhaili, A.R.; Saadi, H.F.; Reed, R.L.; Carter, A.O.

    2002-01-01

    Aims: Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) of the calcaneus is being frequently used to screen for osteoporosis. This technique correlates very well with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of the spine and femur, and predicts fracture risk in postmenopausal women. The correlation between QUS and DXA in premenopausal women with prevalent vitamin D deficiency however is not known. We assessed the correlation between both techniques in 55 pre- and postmenopausal Arabian women, a population with high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. Methods: BMD of the right calcaneus was estimated by Sahara ultrasound (Hologic, Waltham, MA). Spine and right total femur BMD was determined by DXA scan (Lunar Expert XL, Madison, WI). Results: Overall, the correlation between calcaneal BMD estimated by QUS and spine and femur BMD measured by DXA in pre- and postmenopausal United Arab Emirates women was statistically significant (r=0.41; p=0.002 for spine and r=0.44; p=0.001 for femur, respectively). In postmenopausal women, all correlations between DXA and QUS parameters were statistically significant. In contrast, only BUA and SOS correlated significantly with spine BMD in premenopausal women. Conclusion: The correlation between DXA and QUS is statistically significant in postmenopausal United Arab Emirates women. However, this correlation is much weaker in premenopausal UAE women suggesting that other factors such as vitamin D deficiency may influence this correlation

  11. A comparative analysis of analgesic efficacy of ultrasound and shock wave therapy in the treatment of patients with inflammation of the attachment of the plantar fascia in the course of calcaneal spurs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krukowska, Jolanta; Wrona, Jacek; Sienkiewicz, Monika; Czernicki, Jan

    2016-09-01

    Troublesome heel spur is a nuisance condition that affects people of all ages. Treatment of patients with heel spur is a difficult and lengthy process requiring patience from both the patient and the therapist. Sometimes, the only and ultimate method of treatment is surgery, although spurs tend to recur. The aim of the study is a comparative analysis of the analgesic efficacy of ultrasound and shock wave therapy in patients with heel spur. The cause of pain in the course of calcaneal spur is inflammation of the attachment of the plantar fascia, which plays an important role in the process of walking and is seriously strained during different types of movement. Treatment of patients is a difficult and lengthy process. The study was conducted on a group of 47 patients of both sexes, aged 38-60 years (mean 51.3) with a plantar calcaneal spur confirmed by X-ray images. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups using a simple randomization: Group 1-ultrasound therapy group (a series of ten treatments) and Group 2-the radial shock wave group (series of four treatments). In all patients, pain intensity was assessed three times: before therapy, after the first and second weeks of treatment. A version of Laitinen's pain assessment questionnaire and the Huskisson visual analogue scale (VAS) were used. Of the group of studied respondents, 47 patients of both sexes and aged 38-60 years (mean age 51.3) with a heel spur (confirmed on X-rays), who had pain for at least a month, were randomly included in the study. The patients were classified into: Group 1-US therapeutic group (a series of ten treatments) and Group 2-with RSWT (a series of five treatments). Pain intensity was assessed three times: before the treatment, after the first and second week of the treatment with the application of the VAS and the Leitinen Pain Questionnaire. However, a decrease in pain sensation was reported in all test intervals, and its largest decrease occurred in both groups within 1

  12. [Long-term results of calcaneal fracture treatment by open reduction and internal fixation using a calcaneal locking compression plate from an extended lateral approach].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeman, P; Zeman, J; Matejka, J; Koudela, K

    2008-12-01

    To report on the surgical treatment of intra-articular calcaneal fractures by open reduction and internal fixation with a calcaneal locking compression plate (LCP) from an extended lateral approach, and to retrospectively analyze the mid-term results in a group of patients treated by this technique. In the period from August 2005 till March 2007, a total of 49 patients with 61 calcaneal fractures were treated. Of these, 11 (18 %) were treated conservatively. Reduction combined with Kirschner-wire fixation was used in four fractures (6.6 %). Open reduction with internal calcaneal LCP fixation (ORIF- calcaneal LCP) from an extended lateral approach was carried out to treat 46 fractures (75.4 %) in 38 patients. The group evaluated here comprised 29 patients with 33 calcaneal fractures treated by ORIF-calcaneal LCP at a follow-up longer than 6 months. The fractures were classified on the basis of computer tomography (CT) findings as Sanders types I to IV. The group had two woman (6.9 %) and 27 men (93.1 %) with an average age of 34.2 years (range, 19-55 years). In 11 fractures (33.3 %), the primary treatment included filling a central cancellous bone defect area. Calcium phosphate bone substitute material (resorbable ChronOS) was used in nine cases (27.3 %), a self-solidifying hydroxyapatite implant was injected in two (6.1 %) cases (X3 Wright and Norian SRS, respectively), and a bone allograft was implanted in one case (3 %). Indicated for surgery were patients with an intra-articular calcaneal fracture, Sanders type II or type III, with articular surface displacement by more than 1 mm. Contraindications included age over sixty years, poor cooperation, smoking habits, peripheral vascular disease or skin infection. Surgery was performed only after oedema had resolved. The aim of our treatment was to achieve anatomical reconstruction of all articular surfaces, to restore the height, length, width and axis of the heel bone, to carry out primary stable osteosynthesis, and

  13. Relationship between markers of body fat and calcaneal bone stiffness differs between preschool and primary school children: results from the IDEFICS baseline survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sioen, Isabelle; Mouratidou, Theodora; Herrmann, Diana; De Henauw, Stefaan; Kaufman, Jean-Marc; Molnár, Dénes; Moreno, Luis A; Marild, Staffan; Barba, Gianvincenzo; Siani, Alfonso; Gianfagna, Francesco; Tornaritis, Michael; Veidebaum, Toomas; Ahrens, Wolfgang

    2012-10-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between markers of body fat and bone status assessed as calcaneal bone stiffness in a large sample of European healthy pre- and primary school children. Participants were 7,447 children from the IDEFICS study (spread over eight different European countries), age 6.1 ± 1.8 years (range 2.1-9.9), 50.5 % boys. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, bioelectrical impedance, waist and hip circumference, and tricipital and subscapular skinfold thickness) as well as quantitative ultrasonographic measurements to determine calcaneal stiffness index (SI) were performed. Partial correlation analysis, linear regression analysis, and ANCOVA were stratified by sex and age group: preschool boys (n = 1,699) and girls (n = 1,599) and primary school boys (n = 2,062) and girls (n = 2,087). In the overall study population, the average calcaneal SI was equal to 80.2 ± 14.0, ranging 42.4-153. The results showed that preschool children with higher body fat had lower calcaneal SI (significant correlation coefficients between -0.05 and -0.20), while primary school children with higher body fat had higher calcaneal SI (significant correlation coefficients between 0.05 and 0.13). After adjusting for fat-free mass, both preschool and primary school children showed an inverse relationship between body fat and calcaneal stiffness. To conclude, body fat is negatively associated with calcaneal bone stiffness in children after adjustment for fat-free mass. Fat-free mass may confound the association in primary school children but not in preschool children. Muscle mass may therefore be an important determinant of bone stiffness.

  14. Quantitative ultrasound tissue characterization in shoulder and thigh muscles – a new approach

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, P.K.; Jensen, B.R.; Darvann, Tron Andre

    2006-01-01

    Background: The echogenicity patterns of ultrasound scans contain information of tissue composition in muscles. The aim was: ( 1) to develop a quantitative ultrasound image analysis to characterize tissue composition in terms of intensity and structure of the ultrasound images, and ( 2) to use th...

  15. Quantitative shear wave ultrasound elastography: initial experience in solid breast masses

    OpenAIRE

    Evans, Andrew; Whelehan, Patsy; Thomson, Kim; McLean, Denis; Brauer, Katrin; Purdie, Colin; Jordan, Lee; Baker, Lee; Thompson, Alastair

    2010-01-01

    Introduction Shear wave elastography is a new method of obtaining quantitative tissue elasticity data during breast ultrasound examinations. The aims of this study were (1) to determine the reproducibility of shear wave elastography (2) to correlate the elasticity values of a series of solid breast masses with histological findings and (3) to compare shear wave elastography with greyscale ultrasound for benign/malignant classification. Methods Using the Aixplorer® ultrasound system (SuperSoni...

  16. Quantitative Ultrasound Characterization of Cancer Radiotherapy Effects In Vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vlad, Roxana M.; Alajez, Nehad M.; Giles, Anoja B.Sc.; Kolios, Michael C.; Czarnota, Gregory J.

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: Currently, no routinely used imaging modality is available to assess tumor responses to cancer treatment within hours to days after radiotherapy. In this study, we demonstrate the preclinical application of quantitative ultrasound methods to characterize the cellular responses to cancer radiotherapy in vitro. Methods and Materials: Three different cell lines were exposed to radiation doses of 2-8 Gy. Data were collected with an ultrasound scanner using frequencies of 10-30 MHz. As indicators of response, ultrasound integrated backscatter and spectral slope were determined from the cell samples. These parameters were corrected for ultrasonic attenuation by measuring the attenuation coefficient. Results: A significant increase in the ultrasound integrated backscatter of 4-7 dB (p < 0.001) was found for radiation-treated cells compared with viable cells at all radiation doses. The spectral slopes decreased in the cell samples that predominantly underwent mitotic arrest/catastrophe after radiotherapy, consistent with an increase in cell size. In contrast, the spectral slopes did not change significantly in the cell samples that underwent a mix of cell death (apoptosis and mitotic arrest), with no significant change in average cell size. Conclusion: The changes in ultrasound integrated backscatter and spectral slope were direct consequences of cell and nuclear morphologic changes associated with cell death. The results indicate that this combination of quantitative ultrasonic parameters has the potential to assess the cell responses to radiation, differentiate between different types of cell death, and provide a preclinical framework to monitor tumor responses in vivo

  17. Biomechanics – Elastic Foundation Applied in Modelling of Calcaneal Nails

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sejda František

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a strength analysis of a calcaneal nail (material Ti6Al4V and stainless steel which is used to treat complex heel fractures. The application focuses on a unique calcaneal nail, the C-NAIL, produced by Medin a.s. (Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic. The paper first presents an analysis of fracture types, treatment methods and loading of the calcaneus. It then presents an analysis of limit conditions and loading. Calculations (displacement and stress are performed for 6 and 7 fixing screws using FEM (Ansys Workbench 14 software. The calculation involves a new, original application of an elastic foundation, which effectively replaces the complex interaction of the calcaneal nail and the heel bone.

  18. Subtalar distraction osteogenesis for posttraumatic arthritis following intra-articular calcaneal fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Wei-Li; Sun, Hong-Zhen; Wu, Si-Yu; Wang, Ai-Min

    2013-03-01

    The most common treatment for old calcaneal fractures accompanied by subtalar joint injury is the use of subtalar in situ arthrodesis and subtalar distraction bone-block arthrodesis or osteotomy. This article describes the introduction of a novel surgical treatment, gradual subtalar distraction with external fixation and restoration of the calcaneal height, and presents an assessment of its efficacy. The protruding lateral calcaneus and the articular surfaces and subchondral bone of the posterior facet of the subtalar joint were surgically removed. An external fixator, attached with 2 pins in the subcutaneous tibia and 2 pins in the posterolateral calcaneus, was used to fix the subtalar joint for 7 to 10 days followed by gradual subtalar distraction at 1 mm/d. The lengthening procedure was stopped when the calcaneal height was restored according to radiography. The external fixator was removed after bone fusion. Seven cases of old calcaneal fractures accompanied by severe subtalar joint injury (8 feet) were treated using this method. Average follow-up was 14.3 months (range, 7-36 months). In all 7 cases (1 case of both feet), the postoperative wound healed primarily. The calcaneal heights of all 8 feet were partially restored. Subtalar joint bone fusion was completed within 4 to 6 months after the operation. The average preoperative American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) hindfoot score was 25.3, and the average postoperative AOFAS score was 76.3. Subtalar distraction osteogenesis with external fixation was a novel and effective method for the treatment of old calcaneal fractures accompanied by severe subtalar joint injury in this small group of patients. Level IV, retrospective case series.

  19. Treatment of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures by ligamentotaxis: Current concepts' review

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    T. Schepers (Tim); P. Patka (Peter)

    2009-01-01

    textabstractIntroduction: A large variety of therapeutic modalities for calcaneal fractures have been described in the literature. No single treatment modality for displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures has proven superior over the other. This review describes and compares the different

  20. Treatment of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures by ligamentotaxis: current concepts' review

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schepers, T.; Patka, P.

    2009-01-01

    A large variety of therapeutic modalities for calcaneal fractures have been described in the literature. No single treatment modality for displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures has proven superior over the other. This review describes and compares the different percutaneous distractional

  1. CT of peroneal tendon injury in patients with calcaneal fractures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosenberg, Z.S.; Feldman, F.; Singson, R.D.

    1986-01-01

    Injury to the peroneal tendons is a major complication of intraarticular calcaneal fractures. Heretofore, the injury has been difficult to diagnose by routine imaging modalities. However, CT studies of 24 intraarticular calcaneal fractures revealed evidence of peroneal tendon injury in 22 cases. The pathologic conditions included lateral displacement, subluxation, dislocation, and impingement on the tendons by bony fragments, hematomas, and scar tissue. Patients studied 6-12 months after injury had CT evidence consistent with clinical symptoms of peroneal tenosynovitis. Since peroneal tendon injury is surgically correctable, it should be differentiated from other known and more obvious complications, of calcaneal fractures. CT therefore serves as a valuable, noninvasive tool in evaluating these otherwise nonvisualized soft tissue structures in the immediate posttraumatic period as well as during long-term follow up

  2. Quantitative determination of grain sizes by means of scattered ultrasound

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goebbels, K.; Hoeller, P.

    1976-01-01

    The scattering of ultrasounds makes possible the quantitative determination of grain sizes in metallic materials. Examples of measurements on steels with grain sizes between ASTM 1 and ASTM 12 are given

  3. Calcaneal Fractures and Böhler’s Angle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lindsey Spiegelman

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available History of present illness: 40-year-old male presents to the emergency department after falling off a ladder. He was repairing a window when he fell, landing on the ground 12 feet below. The patient landed onto his feet bilaterally and then fell backwards onto his buttocks. On arrival, the patient had bilateral foot pain. He denied any back pain, headache, or loss of consciousness. Significant findings: The right ankle lateral radiograph shows a comminuted, non-displaced fracture of the posterior calcaneus (red arrow in addition to fracture fragments along the heel pad margin (blue arrow. The left ankle lateral radiograph shows a displaced, comminuted fracture of the mid to posterior calcaneus with extension into the subtalar joint posteriorly (purple arrow. There is subcutaneous air seen anteriorly to the tibiotalar joint space (green arrow in addition to a joint effusion. Of note, the Böhler’s angle in the left x-ray is 16 degrees which is consistent with a fracture (see red annotation showing Böhler’s angle. Discussion: Calcaneal fractures occur typically in adults who have undergone significant axial load on their feet secondary to a fall from high height.2,3 There are two broad types of calcaneal fractures: intraarticular and extraarticular.2 The intraarticular fractures are colloquially referred to as a “Lover’s Fracture” as they have been known to occur in those jumping out of a tall window to escape the wrath of a lover’s spouse.1 Calcaneal fractures are best diagnosed with a CT scan or with lateral x-ray by measuring Böhler’s angle.2,3 This is the angle formed by the intersection of two lines demonstrated on a normal lateral ankle radiograph. The first line is drawn between the superior aspect of the anterior process of the calcaneus (point A and the superior edge of the posterior articular facet (point B. The second line is drawn between the superior aspect of the posterior calcaneal tuberosity (point C and point B.2

  4. Prediction of trabecular bone qualitative properties using scanning quantitative ultrasound

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Yi-Xian; Lin, Wei; Mittra, Erik; Xia, Yi; Cheng, Jiqi; Judex, Stefan; Rubin, Clint; Müller, Ralph

    2013-11-01

    Microgravity induced bone loss represents a critical health problem in astronauts, particularly occurred in weight-supporting skeleton, which leads to osteopenia and increase of fracture risk. Lack of suitable evaluation modality makes it difficult for monitoring skeletal status in long term space mission and increases potential risk of complication. Such disuse osteopenia and osteoporosis compromise trabecular bone density, and architectural and mechanical properties. While X-ray based imaging would not be practical in space, quantitative ultrasound may provide advantages to characterize bone density and strength through wave propagation in complex trabecular structure. This study used a scanning confocal acoustic diagnostic and navigation system (SCAN) to evaluate trabecular bone quality in 60 cubic trabecular samples harvested from adult sheep. Ultrasound image based SCAN measurements in structural and strength properties were validated by μCT and compressive mechanical testing. This result indicated a moderately strong negative correlations observed between broadband ultrasonic attenuation (BUA) and μCT-determined bone volume fraction (BV/TV, R2=0.53). Strong correlations were observed between ultrasound velocity (UV) and bone's mechanical strength and structural parameters, i.e., bulk Young's modulus (R2=0.67) and BV/TV (R2=0.85). The predictions for bone density and mechanical strength were significantly improved by using a linear combination of both BUA and UV, yielding R2=0.92 for BV/TV and R2=0.71 for bulk Young's modulus. These results imply that quantitative ultrasound can characterize trabecular structural and mechanical properties through measurements of particular ultrasound parameters, and potentially provide an excellent estimation for bone's structural integrity.

  5. Intra-articualr calcaneal fractures: Computed tomographic analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosenberg, Z.S.; Feldman, F.; Singson, R.D.

    1987-01-01

    Computed tomography (CT) analysis of 21 intra-articular calcaneal fractures categorized according to the Essex-Lopresti classification revealed the following distribution: joint depression-type 57%, comminuted type 43%, tongue-type 0%. The posterior calcaneal facet was fractured and/or depressed in 100% of the cases while the medial facet was involved in only 25% of the cases. CT proved superior to plain films by consistently demonstrating additional fracture components within each major category suggesting subclassifications which have potential prognostic value. CT allowed more expeditious handling of acutely injured patients, and improved preoperative planning, postoperative follow-up, and detailed analysis of causes for chronic residual pain. CT further identified significant soft tissue injuries such as peroneal tendon displacement which cannot be delineated on plain films. (orig.)

  6. CT findings of a unicameral calcaneal bone cyst containing a fluid-fluid level.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallagher, Thomas A; Lim-Dunham, Jennifer E; Vade, Aruna

    2007-03-01

    Calcaneal unicameral bone cysts often contain fluid, but rarely contain fluid-fluid levels. We present a case focusing on the CT findings of a large calcaneal bone cyst with a fluid-fluid level and a review of the literature.

  7. Estimation of calcaneal loading during standing from human footprint depths using 3D scanner

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wibowo, Dwi Basuki; Haryadi, Gunawan Dwi; Widodo, Achmad; Rahayu, Sri Puji

    2017-01-01

    This research studies the relationship between footprint depths and load in the calcaneal area when human standing in an upright posture. Footprint depths are deformation in the calcaneal area obtained from the z-value extraction of the Boolean operation acquired from unloaded foot scanning using 3D scanner and loaded foot using foot plantar scanner. To compare peak loads estimated from footprint depth maximum, force sensing resistor (FSR) sensor is attached over the shoe insole with zero heel height in the calcaneal area. Twenty participants were selected from students of Mechanical Engineering Department Diponegoro University with the average the age and the body weight 19.5 years and 55.27 kg respectively. Results that were relatively accurate was found on the calcaneal loading estimation by footprint depth is presented by curve and data distribution which are in good agreement with the result of the measurement. A significant difference in estimating calcaneal loading is mainly caused by plantar foot position of research subjects which is not perpendicular to foot ankle and hallux. In addition, plantar foot position which bends to front/back/side affects the result of footprint depths.

  8. Reconstruction of soft tissue after complicated calcaneal fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koski, E Antti; Kuokkanen, Hannu O M; Koskinen, Seppo K; Tukiainen, Erkki J

    2004-01-01

    A total of 35 flap reconstructions were done to cover exposed calcaneal bones in 31 patients. All patients had calcaneal fractures, 19 of which were primarily open. Soft tissue reconstruction for the closed fractures was indicated by a postoperative wound complication. A microvascular flap was used for reconstruction in 21 operations (gracilis, n = 11; anterolateral thigh, n = 5; rectus abdominis, n = 3; and latissimus dorsi, n = 2). A suralis neurocutaneous flap was used in eight, local muscle flaps in three, and local skin flaps in three cases. The mean follow-up time was 14 months (range 3 months-4 years). One suralis flap failed and was replaced by a latissimus dorsi flap. Necrosis of the edges that required revision affected three flaps. Deep infection developed in two patients and delayed wound healing in another four. During the follow-up the soft tissues healed in all patients and there were no signs of calcaneal osteitis. Flaps were considered too bulky in five patients. Soft tissues heal most rapidly with microvascular flaps. In the long term, gracilis muscle covered with free skin grafts gives a good contour to the foot. The suralis flap is reliable and gives a good final aesthetic outcome. Local muscles can be transposed for reconstruction in small defects.

  9. Ultrasound Characteristics of the Achilles Tendon in Tophaceous Gout: A Comparison with Age- and Sex-matched Controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carroll, Matthew; Dalbeth, Nicola; Allen, Bruce; Stewart, Sarah; House, Tony; Boocock, Mark; Frampton, Christopher; Rome, Keith

    2017-10-01

    To investigate the frequency and distribution of characteristics of the Achilles tendon (AT) in people with tophaceous gout using musculoskeletal ultrasound (US). Twenty-four participants with tophaceous gout and 24 age- and sex-matched controls without gout or other arthritis were recruited. All participants underwent a greyscale and power Doppler US examination. The AT was divided into 3 anatomical zones (insertion, pre-insertional, and proximal to the mid-section). The following US characteristics were assessed: tophus, tendon echogenicity, tendon vascularity, tendon morphology, entheseal characteristics, bursal morphology, and calcaneal bone profile. The majority of the participants with tophaceous gout were middle-aged men (n = 22, 92%) predominately of European ethnicity (n = 14, 58%). Tophus deposition was observed in 73% (n = 35) of tendons in those with gout and in none of the controls (p gout compared to controls. High prevalence of entheseal calcifications, calcaneal bone cortex irregularities, and calcaneal enthesophytes were observed in both gout participants and controls, without differences between groups. Intratendinous structural damage was rare. Hyperechoic spots were significantly more common at the insertion compared to the zone proximal to the mid-section (p gout. Despite crystal deposition, intratendinous structural changes are infrequent. Many characteristics observed in the AT in people with tophaceous gout, particularly at the calcaneal enthesis, are not disease-specific.

  10. Anterior process calcaneal fractures: a systematic evaluation of associated conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Petrover, David [NYU Hospital for Joint Disease, Radiology Department, New York, NY (United States); Hopital Beaujon, Service de Radiologie, Paris (France); Schweitzer, Mark E. [NYU Hospital for Joint Disease, Radiology Department, New York, NY (United States); Laredo, J.D. [Hopital Lariboisiere, Service de Radiologie, Paris (France)

    2007-07-15

    The objective was to evaluate the association, by MRI, of anterior calcaneal process fractures with tarsal coalitions, ankle sprains, and bifurcate ligament abnormalities. A retrospective review of 1,479 foot and ankle MR images was performed, over a period of 5 years, for isolated anterior process fractures of the calcaneus. Fifteen 1.5-T MR examinations were systematically evaluated by two radiologists in consensus. Marrow edema patterns, presence of a calcaneonavicular coalition, as well as bifurcate and anterior talofibular ligaments, were evaluated. There were 15 fractures of the anterior calcaneal process with an incidence of 1%. The average patient age was 51 years (range 25-82). Twelve patients were women and 3 were men. The majority of the fractures (14 out of 15) presented as an edema pattern on T2-weighted images, either diffuse (9 out of 15), or vertical (5 out of 15). One case did not show marrow edema, but rather a hypointense line. Nine patients (60%) demonstrated calcaneonavicular coalition and anterior calcaneal process fracture. In 6 patients (50%) the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) was thickened. Three patients did not have axial images, and were classified as non-conclusive for the ATFL evaluation. The bifurcate ligament was thickened with hyperintense signal demonstrating a sprain in 9 out of 13 (69%). Only 2 patients (16.5%) had an anterior calcaneal process fracture without any associated abnormality. We believe that there is a probable association of anterior process fractures and calcaneonavicular coalitions. We also feel, based on our results and the prior literature that there is likely also an association with both ATFL injuries and bifurcate ligament injuries. (orig.)

  11. Anterior process calcaneal fractures: a systematic evaluation of associated conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petrover, David; Schweitzer, Mark E.; Laredo, J.D.

    2007-01-01

    The objective was to evaluate the association, by MRI, of anterior calcaneal process fractures with tarsal coalitions, ankle sprains, and bifurcate ligament abnormalities. A retrospective review of 1,479 foot and ankle MR images was performed, over a period of 5 years, for isolated anterior process fractures of the calcaneus. Fifteen 1.5-T MR examinations were systematically evaluated by two radiologists in consensus. Marrow edema patterns, presence of a calcaneonavicular coalition, as well as bifurcate and anterior talofibular ligaments, were evaluated. There were 15 fractures of the anterior calcaneal process with an incidence of 1%. The average patient age was 51 years (range 25-82). Twelve patients were women and 3 were men. The majority of the fractures (14 out of 15) presented as an edema pattern on T2-weighted images, either diffuse (9 out of 15), or vertical (5 out of 15). One case did not show marrow edema, but rather a hypointense line. Nine patients (60%) demonstrated calcaneonavicular coalition and anterior calcaneal process fracture. In 6 patients (50%) the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) was thickened. Three patients did not have axial images, and were classified as non-conclusive for the ATFL evaluation. The bifurcate ligament was thickened with hyperintense signal demonstrating a sprain in 9 out of 13 (69%). Only 2 patients (16.5%) had an anterior calcaneal process fracture without any associated abnormality. We believe that there is a probable association of anterior process fractures and calcaneonavicular coalitions. We also feel, based on our results and the prior literature that there is likely also an association with both ATFL injuries and bifurcate ligament injuries. (orig.)

  12. Ideal Timing of Starting Weight-Bearing After Calcaneal Insufficiency Fracture: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

    OpenAIRE

    Imamura; Mochizuki; Kawakami; Momohara

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Criteria for starting weight-bearing on the heel with a symptomatic calcaneal insufficiency fracture have not yet been reported. Case Presentation We describe a rare case of a 52-year-old woman with a calcaneal insufficiency fracture who sustained a second ipsilateral calcaneal insufficiency fracture within a short time span. The initial fracture was not evident radiographically, but was detected using magnetic resona...

  13. QUANTITATIVE ULTRASOUND BONE DENSITOMETRY IN CHILDREN WITH THALASSAEMIA IN NORTH EAST INDIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chao Rochek Buragohain

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Thalassaemic children who are on regular blood transfusion are at increased risk of hypothyroidism, growth hormone deficiency, hypoparathyroidism, diabetes mellitus and osteoporosis because of deposition of iron in various endocrine glands with age. Low bone mineral density is a significant problem in these children, which may lead to increased risk for fractures and suboptimal peak bone mass. The aim of the study is to determine the bone health status of children with thalassaemia using quantitative ultrasound densitometry. MATERIALS AND METHODS A case control study was done at Department of Paediatrics, Jorhat Medical College and Hospital, which included 32 regularly transfused thalassaemic children. Age and sex matched healthy controls were included. Quantitative ultrasound bone densitometry was done in both the groups and compared with each other. RESULTS Broadband Ultrasound Attenuation (BUA and Speed of Sound (SOS measurements were found to be independent of sex. BUA values in boys showed increasing trend with age, which was not observed in girls. SOS values did not show any increasing trend with age in both sexes. In both the groups, the BUA and SOS increased continuously with increasing age. The values of BUA were more in control group compared to case group while opposite was noticed with SOS values. BUA values were more when ferritin level was >2000 ng/dL and increased number of blood transfusion, whereas SOS values decreased with increase in serum ferritin level and number of transfusion, which was statistically significant (P=0.0125. Both BUA and SOS values decreased with increased severity of malnutrition, which was statistically significant for SOS (P=0.0266. CONCLUSION Quantitative ultrasound bone densitometry can be used as a screening method to assess the bone health status in children, particularly those with thalassaemia, but requires further studies in large groups.

  14. Quantitative ultrasound parameters as well as bone mineral density are better predictors of trochanteric than cervical hip fractures in elderly women. Results from the EPIDOS study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schott, A M; Hans, D; Duboeuf, F; Dargent-Molina, P; Hajri, T; Bréart, G; Meunier, P J

    2005-12-01

    Hip fractures can be separated into cervical and trochanteric fractures. Trochanteric fractures have been associated with up to twice the short-term mortality of cervical fractures in the elderly. There is also evidence suggesting that the mechanisms are different. Evidence from the literature remains limited on the predictive power of bone mineral density (BMD) and quantitative ultrasounds (QUS) for both types of hip fractures. 5703 elderly women aged 75 years or more, who were recruited from the voting lists in the EPIDOS study, and had baseline calcaneal ultrasounds (QUS) and DXA measurements at the hip and the whole body, were analyzed in this paper. Among those, 192 hip fractures occurred during an average follow-up of 4 years, 108 cervical and 84 trochanteric fractures. Femoral neck, trochanteric and whole body BMD were able to predict trochanteric hip fracture (RR's and 95% CI were, respectively, 3.2 (2.4-4.2); 4.8 (3.5-6.6); and 2.8 (2.2-3.6)) more accurately than cervical fractures (respectively, 2.1 (1.7-2.7); 2.3 (1.8-3.0); 1.2 (1.0-1.6)). All ultrasound parameters, SOS, BUA, and stiffness index (SI) were significant predictors of trochanteric (RR's respectively 3.0 (2.2-4.1), 2.5(2.0-3.1), and 3.5(2.6-4.7)) but not cervical fractures. After adjustment for femoral neck or trochanteric BMD ultrasound parameters were still significant predictors of trochanteric fracture, and stiffness tended to be a better predictor of trochanteric fractures than either BUA or SOS with a relative risk of 2.25 (1.6-3.1). A significant decrease of all bone measurements, BMD and QUS, was highly predictive of trochanteric fractures, whereas a decrease of femoral neck and trochanteric BMD were only associated with a slight increase in cervical fracture risk and a low total body BMD or QUS parameters were not significant predictors of cervical fractures. In women who sustained a hip fracture, the decrease of BMD and QUS values increases the risk of trochanteric fracture as

  15. Clinical outcome scoring of intra-articular calcaneal fractures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schepers, Tim; Heetveld, Martin J.; Mulder, Paul G. H.; Patka, Peter

    2008-01-01

    Outcome reporting of intra-articular calcaneal fractures is inconsistent. This study aimed to identify the most cited outcome scores in the literature and to analyze their reliability and validity. A systematic literature search identified 34 different outcome scores. The most cited outcome score

  16. Clinical Outcome Scoring of Intra-articular Calcaneal Fractures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    T. Schepers (Tim); M.J. Heetveld (Martin); P.G.H. Mulder (Paul); P. Patka (Peter)

    2008-01-01

    textabstractOutcome reporting of intra-articular calcaneal fractures is inconsistent. This study aimed to identify the most cited outcome scores in the literature and to analyze their reliability and validity. A systematic literature search identified 34 different outcome scores. The most cited

  17. Ultrasound introscopic image quantitative characteristics for medical diagnosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novoselets, Mikhail K.; Sarkisov, Sergey S.; Gridko, Alexander N.; Tcheban, Anatoliy K.

    1993-09-01

    The results on computer aided extraction of quantitative characteristics (QC) of ultrasound introscopic images for medical diagnosis are presented. Thyroid gland (TG) images of Chernobil Accident sufferers are considered. It is shown that TG diseases can be associated with some values of selected QCs of random echo distribution in the image. The possibility of these QCs usage for TG diseases recognition in accordance with calculated values is analyzed. The role of speckle noise elimination in the solution of the problem on TG diagnosis is considered too.

  18. Vertical ground reaction forces in patients after calcaneal trauma surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Hoeve, S; Verbruggen, J; Willems, P; Meijer, K; Poeze, M

    2017-10-01

    Vertical ground reaction forces (VGRFs) are altered in patients after foot trauma. It is not known if this correlates with ankle kinematics. The aim of this study was to analyze VGRFs in patients after calcaneal trauma and correlate them to patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), radiographic findings and kinematic analysis, using a multi-segment foot model. In addition, we determined the predictive value of VGRFs to identify patients with altered foot kinematics. Thirteen patients (13 feet) with displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures, were included an average of two years after trauma surgery. PROMs, radiographic findings on postoperative computed tomography scans, gait analysis using the Oxford foot model and VGRFs were analysed during gait. Results were compared with those of 11 healthy subjects (20 feet). Speed was equal in both groups, with healthy subjects walking at self-selected slow speed (0.94±0.18m/s) and patients after surgery walking at self-selected normal speed (0.94±0.29m/s). ROC curves were used to determine the predictive value. Patients after calcaneal surgery showed a lower minimum force during midstance (p=0.004) and a lower maximum force during toe-off (p=0.011). This parameter correlated significantly with the range of motion in the sagittal plane during the push-off phase (r 0.523, p=0.002), as well as with PROMs and with postoperative residual step-off (r 0.423, p=0.016). Combining these two parameters yielded a cut-off value of 193% (ppush-off correlated significantly with PROMs, range of motion in the sagittal plane during push-off and radiographic postoperative residual step-off in the posterior facet of the calcaneal bone. VGRFs are a valuable screening tool for identifying patients with altered gait patterns. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Increased mast cell numbers in a calcaneal tendon overuse model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pingel, J; Wienecke, J; Kongsgaard, M; Behzad, H; Abraham, T; Langberg, H; Scott, A

    2013-12-01

    Tendinopathy is often discovered late because the initial development of tendon pathology is asymptomatic. The aim of this study was to examine the potential role of mast cell involvement in early tendinopathy using a high-intensity uphill running (HIUR) exercise model. Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided in two groups: running group (n = 12); sedentary control group (n = 12). The running-group was exposed to the HIUR exercise protocol for 7 weeks. The calcaneal tendons of both hind limbs were dissected. The right tendon was used for histologic analysis using Bonar score, immunohistochemistry, and second harmonic generation microscopy (SHGM). The left tendon was used for quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis. An increased tendon cell density in the runners were observed compared to the controls (P = 0.05). Further, the intensity of immunostaining of protein kinase B, P = 0.03; 2.75 ± 0.54 vs 1.17 ± 0.53, was increased in the runners. The Bonar score (P = 0.05), and the number of mast cells (P = 0.02) were significantly higher in the runners compared to the controls. Furthermore, SHGM showed focal collagen disorganization in the runners, and reduced collagen density (P = 0.03). IL-3 mRNA levels were correlated with mast cell number in sedentary animals. The qPCR analysis showed no significant differences between the groups in the other analyzed targets. The current study demonstrates that 7-week HIUR causes structural changes in the calcaneal tendon, and further that these changes are associated with an increased mast cell density. © 2013 The Authors. Scand J Med Sci Sports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. The conundrum of calcaneal spurs: do they matter?

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Moroney, Paul J

    2013-12-30

    Background: Chronic plantar heel pain is a common and potentially debilitating condition, often caused by plantar fasciitis. Plantar calcaneal spurs were originally considered the cause of plantar fasciitis but are now regarded as an incidental finding by most authors. We aimed to test this hypothesis and to investigate predisposing factors for the development of spurs. Methods: We reviewed all lateral ankle X rays taken in our institution over a 6-month period and identified all X rays demonstrating calcaneal spurs. Then, we identified a similar number of age- and sex-matched controls without spurs. We contacted both groups by telephone and compared symptoms of heel pain, plantar fasciitis, associated comorbidities, and foot and ankle outcome scores (FAOSs). Results: We reviewed the X rays of 1103 consecutive patients and found a spur prevalence of 12.4%, more common in women and older patients. Questioning of the spur group and control group found a higher body mass index in the spur group. Patients with spurs were 4 times more likely to have diabetes mellitus and 10 times more likely to have lower-limb osteoarthritis. Patients with spurs had more foot pain and poorer FAOS than the control group, even when patients with plantar fasciitis were excluded. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that the presence of a plantar calcaneal spur may be an indicator of foot pain independent of plantar fasciitis. Although spurs may not cause foot pain themselves, they may be an indication of other associated conditions. Clinical relevance: We have demonstrated the relevance of a radiographic finding once considered irrelevant.

  1. Precision of different quantitative ultrasound densitometers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pocock, N.A.; Harris, N.D.; Griffiths, M.R.

    1998-01-01

    Full text: Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) of the calcaneus, which measures Speed of Sound (SOS) and Broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA), is predictive of the risk of osteoporotic fracture. However, the utility of QUS for predicting fracture risk or for monitoring treatment efficacy depends on its precision and reliability. Published results and manufacturers data vary significantly due to differences in statistical methodology. We have assessed the precision of the current model of the Lunar Achilles and the McCue Cuba QUS densitometers; the most commonly used QUS machines in Australia. Twenty seven subjects had duplicate QUS measurements performed on the same day on both machines. These data were used to calculate the within pair standard deviation (SD) the co-efficient of variation, CV and the standardised co efficient of variation (sCV) which is corrected for the dynamic range. In addition, the co-efficient of reliability (R) was calculated as an index of reliability which is independent of the population mean value, or the dynamic range of the measurements. R ranges between 0 (for no reliability) to 1(for a perfect reliability). The results indicate that the precision of QUS is dependent on the dynamic range and the instrument. Furthermore, they suggest that while QUS is a useful predictor of fracture risk, at present it has limited clinical value in monitoring short term age-related bone loss of 1-2% per year

  2. Bilateral calcaneal epiphysiolysis in a dog.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Font, J; Pèlach, M; Font, C; Cairo, J

    2013-01-01

    A case of bilateral calcaneal epiphysiolysis in a six-month-old female Dobermann Pinscher is described in this report. The absence of a traumatic event and the clinical, radiographic and histopathological abnormalities led us to the diagnosis of simultaneous bilateral epiphysiolysis of the calcaneus. A tension band and a type II transarticular external fixator were placed. The clinical signs were resolved only temporarily because of the gravity of the bone changes.

  3. Characteristics of calcaneal bone infarction: an MR imaging investigation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abrahim-Zadeh, R.; Klein, R.M.; Leslie, D.; Norman, A. [Department of Radiology, New York Medical College, Macy Pavillion, Valhalla, NY 10595 (United States)

    1998-06-01

    Objective. Bone infarction (BI) of the calcaneus is an uncommon entity which has received little mention in the recent literature. In this paper, we review the MR images of six calcanei with BI, which demonstrate a pattern of presentation that may explain the etiology of BI at this unusual location. Design. A retrospective review was performed of the transcribed reports of the foot or ankle MR examinations at our institution. MR images of examinations with any marrow signal abnormality were reviewed for presence of BI and its distribution. Patients. Based on MRI criteria, four patients had calcaneal BI (none biopsy proven); they ranged in age from 37 to 51 years old. Two patients were diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, one with fibrositis, and another with polymyositis. All were treated with corticosteroids. Results. Six calcanei (in four patients) contained a region of calcaneal BI. In five of the six, the lesions were entirely or predominantly located in the posterior half of the calcaneus. Conclusion. Two theories are proposed which may explain why BI predominantly occurs in the posterior half of the calcaneus. First, the convergence of the recurrent intraosseous calcaneal vessels may occasionally produce the equivalent of a single dominant vessel that is more prone to vascular accidents. Secondly, the region between the recurrent and the epiphyseal vessels may act as a watershed zone, increasing its susceptibility to ischemia. (orig.) With 4 figs., 1 tab., 8 refs.

  4. Do we really need radiographic assessment for the diagnosis of non-specific heel pain (calcaneal apophysitis) in children?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kose, Ozkan [Diyarbakir Education and Research Hospital, Orthopaedics and Traumatology Clinic, Diyarbakir (Turkey); Diclekent Bulvari, Ataslar Serhat Evleri, Diyarbakir (Turkey)

    2010-04-15

    Non-specific heel pain (calcaneal apophysitis) is a common disorder, particularly in physically active growing children. Foot radiographs are usually obtained as part of the clinical evaluation in routine orthopaedic practice. However, there is still controversy about the specific findings on radiographs, and it is unclear what information is present on radiographs that may alter the diagnosis and management. The purpose of this study was to review a consecutive series of patients with the diagnosis of calcaneal apophysitis to assess the yield of routine radiographs of the foot. A prospective study was performed on 61 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of calcaneal apophysitis in a single-surgeon practice. Standard anteroposterior and lateral weight-bearing foot radiographs were obtained for each patient. Seventy-one sets of foot radiographs were reviewed to determine whether radiographs had an impact on diagnosis and management. Patients with antecedent trauma, penetrating injury, foot deformity, achilles tendonitis, bursitis and infections were excluded from the study. Seventy foot radiographs were considered to be normal. The radiographs changed the diagnosis in only one patient, in whom a simple bone cyst of the calcaneous was seen. Calcaneal apophysitis is a self-limiting disease, and patients can be treated conservatively. Neither the sclerosis nor the fragmentation of the apophysis could be used to establish the diagnosis of calcaneal apophysitis. Therefore, obtaining radiographs as an initial step in their evaluation does not seem to be justified. (orig.)

  5. Do we really need radiographic assessment for the diagnosis of non-specific heel pain (calcaneal apophysitis) in children?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kose, Ozkan

    2010-01-01

    Non-specific heel pain (calcaneal apophysitis) is a common disorder, particularly in physically active growing children. Foot radiographs are usually obtained as part of the clinical evaluation in routine orthopaedic practice. However, there is still controversy about the specific findings on radiographs, and it is unclear what information is present on radiographs that may alter the diagnosis and management. The purpose of this study was to review a consecutive series of patients with the diagnosis of calcaneal apophysitis to assess the yield of routine radiographs of the foot. A prospective study was performed on 61 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of calcaneal apophysitis in a single-surgeon practice. Standard anteroposterior and lateral weight-bearing foot radiographs were obtained for each patient. Seventy-one sets of foot radiographs were reviewed to determine whether radiographs had an impact on diagnosis and management. Patients with antecedent trauma, penetrating injury, foot deformity, achilles tendonitis, bursitis and infections were excluded from the study. Seventy foot radiographs were considered to be normal. The radiographs changed the diagnosis in only one patient, in whom a simple bone cyst of the calcaneous was seen. Calcaneal apophysitis is a self-limiting disease, and patients can be treated conservatively. Neither the sclerosis nor the fragmentation of the apophysis could be used to establish the diagnosis of calcaneal apophysitis. Therefore, obtaining radiographs as an initial step in their evaluation does not seem to be justified. (orig.)

  6. Quantitative ultrasound characterization of locally advanced breast cancer by estimation of its scatterer properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tadayyon, Hadi [Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5 (Canada); Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2M9 (Canada); Sadeghi-Naini, Ali; Czarnota, Gregory, E-mail: Gregory.Czarnota@sunnybrook.ca [Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5 (Canada); Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2M9 (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5 (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1P5 (Canada); Wirtzfeld, Lauren [Department of Physics, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3 (Canada); Wright, Frances C. [Division of Surgical Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5 (Canada)

    2014-01-15

    Purpose: Tumor grading is an important part of breast cancer diagnosis and currently requires biopsy as its standard. Here, the authors investigate quantitative ultrasound parameters in locally advanced breast cancers that can potentially separate tumors from normal breast tissue and differentiate tumor grades. Methods: Ultrasound images and radiofrequency data from 42 locally advanced breast cancer patients were acquired and analyzed. Parameters related to the linear regression of the power spectrum—midband fit, slope, and 0-MHz-intercept—were determined from breast tumors and normal breast tissues. Mean scatterer spacing was estimated from the spectral autocorrelation, and the effective scatterer diameter and effective acoustic concentration were estimated from the Gaussian form factor. Parametric maps of each quantitative ultrasound parameter were constructed from the gated radiofrequency segments in tumor and normal tissue regions of interest. In addition to the mean values of the parametric maps, higher order statistical features, computed from gray-level co-occurrence matrices were also determined and used for characterization. Finally, linear and quadratic discriminant analyses were performed using combinations of quantitative ultrasound parameters to classify breast tissues. Results: Quantitative ultrasound parameters were found to be statistically different between tumor and normal tissue (p < 0.05). The combination of effective acoustic concentration and mean scatterer spacing could separate tumor from normal tissue with 82% accuracy, while the addition of effective scatterer diameter to the combination did not provide significant improvement (83% accuracy). Furthermore, the two advanced parameters, including effective scatterer diameter and mean scatterer spacing, were found to be statistically differentiating among grade I, II, and III tumors (p = 0.014 for scatterer spacing, p = 0.035 for effective scatterer diameter). The separation of the tumor

  7. Quantitative ultrasound characterization of locally advanced breast cancer by estimation of its scatterer properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tadayyon, Hadi; Sadeghi-Naini, Ali; Czarnota, Gregory; Wirtzfeld, Lauren; Wright, Frances C.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Tumor grading is an important part of breast cancer diagnosis and currently requires biopsy as its standard. Here, the authors investigate quantitative ultrasound parameters in locally advanced breast cancers that can potentially separate tumors from normal breast tissue and differentiate tumor grades. Methods: Ultrasound images and radiofrequency data from 42 locally advanced breast cancer patients were acquired and analyzed. Parameters related to the linear regression of the power spectrum—midband fit, slope, and 0-MHz-intercept—were determined from breast tumors and normal breast tissues. Mean scatterer spacing was estimated from the spectral autocorrelation, and the effective scatterer diameter and effective acoustic concentration were estimated from the Gaussian form factor. Parametric maps of each quantitative ultrasound parameter were constructed from the gated radiofrequency segments in tumor and normal tissue regions of interest. In addition to the mean values of the parametric maps, higher order statistical features, computed from gray-level co-occurrence matrices were also determined and used for characterization. Finally, linear and quadratic discriminant analyses were performed using combinations of quantitative ultrasound parameters to classify breast tissues. Results: Quantitative ultrasound parameters were found to be statistically different between tumor and normal tissue (p < 0.05). The combination of effective acoustic concentration and mean scatterer spacing could separate tumor from normal tissue with 82% accuracy, while the addition of effective scatterer diameter to the combination did not provide significant improvement (83% accuracy). Furthermore, the two advanced parameters, including effective scatterer diameter and mean scatterer spacing, were found to be statistically differentiating among grade I, II, and III tumors (p = 0.014 for scatterer spacing, p = 0.035 for effective scatterer diameter). The separation of the tumor

  8. Quantitative ultrasound tissue characterization in shoulder and thigh muscles – a new approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jørgensen Kurt

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The echogenicity patterns of ultrasound scans contain information of tissue composition in muscles. The aim was: (1 to develop a quantitative ultrasound image analysis to characterize tissue composition in terms of intensity and structure of the ultrasound images, and (2 to use the method for characterization of ultrasound images of the supraspinatus muscle, and the vastus lateralis muscle. Methods Computerized texture analyses employing first-order and higher-order grey-scale statistics were developed to objectively characterize ultrasound images of m. supraspinatus and m. vastus lateralis from 9 healthy participants. Results The mean grey-scale intensity was higher in the vastus lateralis muscle (p -2 and for m. supraspinatus: 0.016 mm-2. Conclusion The higher intensity and the higher number of blobs in the vastus lateralis muscle indicates that the thigh muscle contained more non-contractile components than the supraspinatus muscle, and that the muscle was coarser. The image analyses supplemented each other and gave a more complete description of the tissue composition in the muscle than the mean grey-scale value alone.

  9. The value of calcaneal bone mass measurement using a dual X-ray laser calscan device in risk screening for osteoporosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gulseren Kayalar

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To evaluate how bone mineral density in the calcaneus measured by a dual energy X-ray laser (DXL correlates with bone mineral density in the spine and hip in Turkish women over 40 years of age and to determine whether calcaneal dual energy X-ray laser variables are associated with clinical risk factors to the same extent as axial bone mineral density measurements obtained using dual energy x-ray absorbtiometry (DXA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 2,884 Turkish women, aged 40-90 years, living in Ankara were randomly selected. Calcaneal bone mineral density was evaluated using a dual energy X-ray laser Calscan device. Subjects exhibiting a calcaneal dual energy X-ray laser T- score <-2.5 received a referral for DXA of the spine and hip. Besides dual energy X-ray laser measurements, all subjects were questioned about their medical history and the most relevant risk factors for osteoporosis. RESULTS: Using a T-score threshold of -2.5, which is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO, dual energy X-ray laser calcaneal measurements showed that 13% of the subjects had osteoporosis, while another 56% had osteopenia. The mean calcaneal dual energy X-ray laser T-score of postmenopausal subjects who were smokers with a positive history of fracture, hormone replacement therapy (HRT, covered dressing style, lower educational level, no regular exercise habits, and low tea consumption was significantly lower than that obtained for the other group (p<0.05. A significant correlation was observed between the calcaneal dual energy X-ray laser T-score and age (r=-0.465, p=0.001, body mass index (BMI (r=0.223, p=0.001, number of live births (r=-0.229, p=0.001, breast feeding time (r=-0.064, p=0.001, and age at menarche (r=-0.050, p=0.008. The correlations between calcaneal DXL and DXA T-scores (r=0.340, p=0.001 and calcaneal DXL and DXA Z-scores (r=0.360, p=0.001 at the spine, and calcaneal DXL and DXA T- scores (r=0.28, p=0.001 and calcaneal

  10. Allografts versus Equine Xenografts in Calcaneal Fracture Repair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonmez, Mehmet Mesut; Armagan, Raffi; Ugurlar, Meric; Eren, Tugrul

    Displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures are difficult to treat. We determined the functional results and complications of using allografts or equine xenografts in treating these fractures. We reviewed patients seen at our center from May 2011 to December 2014 with Sanders type III or IV unilateral calcaneal fractures treated with locking plates and an additional bone allograft or equine xenograft. A minimum of 1 year after surgery, a history of infection and functional outcomes were assessed using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society clinical rating system. Changes in the Gissane angle (GA) and Böhler angle were assessed from radiographs. Of the 91 eligible patients, 15 were lost to follow-up, leaving a sample of 76 patients (42 males): 45 received allografts (19 for type III and 26 for type IV fractures) and 31 received xenografts (20 for type III and 11 for type IV fractures). The mean age was about 40 years in both groups. After ≥1 year of follow-up, the proportion of patients in the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society scoring categories did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (mean ankle score, 86.5 in the allograft group and 85.1 in the xenograft group), and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society functional outcomes were good or excellent in 69% and 68%, respectively (p = .986). The groups did not differ in the incidence of superficial or deep infection (p = 1.000). The Böhler angles were significantly decreased in the xenograft group. Xenografts might be preferred for repairing intra-articular calcaneal fractures because they can perform as well as allografts, avoid donor site morbidities, and are more available and less expensive than allografts. Copyright © 2017 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Polyunsaturated fatty acids and calcaneal ultrasound parameters among Inuit women from Nuuk (Greenland): a longitudinal study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paunescu, Alexandra-Cristina; Ayotte, Pierre; Dewailly, Eric; Dodin, Sylvie; Pedersen, Henning S; Mulvad, Gert; Côté, Suzanne

    2013-01-01

    The traditional diet of Inuit people comprises large amounts of fish and marine mammals that are rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Results from in vitro studies, laboratory animal experiments and population studies suggest that omega-3 PUFA intake and a high omega-3/omega-6 ratio exert a positive effect on bone health. This longitudinal study was conducted to examine the relationship between omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA status and quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters in Greenlandic Inuit women. The study included 118 Inuit women from Nuuk (Greenland), aged 49-64 years, whose QUS parameters measured at baseline (year 2000), along with PUFA status and covariates, and follow-up QUS measurements 2 years later (year 2002). QUS parameters [speed of sound (SOS); broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA)] were measured at the right calcaneus with a water-bath Lunar Achilles instrument. Omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA contents of erythrocyte membrane phospholipids were measured after transmethylation by gas chromatography coupled with a flame ionization detector. Relationships between QUS parameters and different PUFAs were studied in multiple linear regression models. Increasing values of EPA, DHA and the omega-3/omega-6 PUFA ratio were associated with increased BUA values measured at follow-up (year 2002). These associations were still present in models adjusted for several confounders and covariates. We found little evidence of associations between PUFAs and SOS values. The omega-3 PUFA intake from marine food consumption seems to have a positive effect on bone intrinsic quality and strength, as revealed by higher BUA values in this group of Greenlandic Inuit women.

  12. 2D/ 3D Quantitative Ultrasound of the Breast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nasief, Haidy Gerges

    Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death of women in the United States, so breast cancer screening for early detection is common. The purpose of this dissertation is to optimize quantitative ultrasound (QUS) methods to improve the specificity and objectivity of breast ultrasound. To pursue this goal, the dissertation is divided into two parts: 1) to optimize 2D QUS, and 2) to introduce and validate 3D QUS. Previous studies had validated these methods in phantoms. Applying our QUS analysis on subcutaneous breast fat demonstrated that QUS parameter estimates for subcutaneous fat were consistent among different human subjects. This validated our in vivo data acquisition methods and supported the use of breast fat as a clinical reference tissue for ultrasound BI-RADSRTM assessments. Although current QUS methods perform well for straightforward cases when assumptions of stationarity and diffuse scattering are well-founded, these conditions often are not present due to the complicated nature of in vivo breast tissue. Key improvements in QUS algorithms to address these challenges were: 1) applying a "modified least squares method (MLSM)" to account for the heterogeneous tissue path between the transducer and the region of interest, ROI; 2) detecting anisotropy in acoustic parameters; and 3) detecting and removing the echo sources that depart from diffuse and stationary scattering conditions. The results showed that a Bayesian classifier combining three QUS parameters in a biased pool of high-quality breast ultrasound data successfully differentiated all fibroadenomas from all carcinomas. Given promising initial results in 2D, extension to 3D acquisitions in QUS provided a unique capability to test QUS for the entire breast volume. QUS parameter estimates using 3D data were consistent with those found in 2D for phantoms and in vivo data. Extensions of QUS technology from 2D to 3D can improve the specificity of breast ultrasound, and thus, could lead to

  13. Role of the calcaneal heel pad and polymeric shock absorbers in attenuation of heel strike impact.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noe, D A; Voto, S J; Hoffmann, M S; Askew, M J; Gradisar, I A

    1993-01-01

    The capacity of the calcaneal heel pad, with and without augmentation by a polymeric shock absorbing material (Sorbothane 0050), to attenuate heel strike impulses has been studied using five fresh human cadaveric lower leg specimens. The specimens, instrumented with an accelerometer, were suspended and impacted with a hammer; a steel rod was similarly suspended and impacted. The calcaneal heel pad attenuated the peak accelerations by 80%. Attenuations of up to 93% were achieved by the shock absorbing material when tested against the steel rod; however, when tested in series with the calcaneal heel pad, the reduction in peak acceleration due to the shock absorbing material dropped to 18%. Any evaluation of the effectiveness of shock absorbing shoe materials must take into account their mechanical interaction with the body.

  14. Quantitative analysis of ultrasound B-mode images of carotid atherosclerotic plaque: correlation with visual classification and histological examination

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wilhjelm, Jens E.; Grønholdt, Marie-Louise; Wiebe, Brit

    1998-01-01

    regions of the plaque in still ultrasound images from three orthogonal scan planes and finally a histological analysis of the surgically removed plaque. The quantitative comparison was made with the linear model and with separation of the available data into training and test sets. The comparison......This paper presents a quantitative comparison of three types of information available for 52 patients scheduled for carotid endarterectomy: subjective classification of the ultrasound images obtained during scanning before operation, first- and second-order statistical features extracted from...

  15. Minimally Invasive Calcaneal Displacement Osteotomy Site Using a Reference Kirschner Wire: A Technique Tip.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Moses; Guyton, Gregory P; Zahoor, Talal; Schon, Lew C

    2016-01-01

    As a standard open approach, the lateral oblique incision has been widely used for calcaneal displacement osteotomy. However, just as with other orthopedic procedures that use an open approach, complications, including wound healing problems and neurovascular injury in the heel, have been reported. To help avoid these limitations, a percutaneous technique using a Shannon burr for calcaneal displacement osteotomy was introduced. However, relying on a free-hand technique without direct visualization at the osteotomy site has been a major obstacle for this technique. To address this problem, we developed a technical tip using a reference Kirschner wire. A reference Kirschner wire technique provides a reliable and accurate guide for minimally invasive calcaneal displacement osteotomy. Also, the technique should be easy to learn for surgeons new to the procedure. Copyright © 2016 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. IMPINGEMENT-SYNDROME OF PERONEUS BREVIS TENDON AFTER CALCANEAL FRACTURES (MORPHOLOGICAL ASPECTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. S. Konovalchuk

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. One of the main causes of pain in patients with consequences of calcaneal fractures is the lateral impingement syndrome. This term means lateral displacement of outer calcaneal wall at the moment of fracture, narrowing of anatomical space under the lateral malleolus and compression of soft tissues in this region, including tendons of short and long peroneal muscles. This leads to chronic traumatization of tendons, alteration of their normal tracking and development of tendinitis and tenosynovitis. At this moment there are no articles in foreign or Russian literature describing how prolonged traumatization influences the internal structure of the tendons. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the morphological changes in structure of peroneus brevis tendon after different duration of compression between outer wall of calcaneus and the tip of the lateral malleolus in patients with calcaneal malunion.Materials and methods. Fifteen patients with calcaneal malunion and lateral impingement syndrome were treated operatively between 2016 and 2017. To confirm the lateral impingement syndrome, the authors performed clinical examination and AP x-rays of ankle joint. Two peroneus brevis tendon specimens were obtained intraoperatively in each of 15 patients: one specimen from compressed and one from non-compressed area. Obtained specimens were histologically examined according to standard protocol.Results. Microscopically all specimens showed separation of collagen bundles with loose connective tissue degeneration, increase of vascularization and inflammation. The degree of these changes differed according to the compression duration. This allowed us to analyze the dynamics of these changes.Conclusion. The morphological changes in structure of peroneus brevis tendon during the compression between outer wall of calcaneus and the tip of the lateral malleolus correspond with dynamics of common pathologic reactions. Early stages showed signs of

  17. Calcaneal attachment of the plantar fascia: MR findings in asymptomatic volunteers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehrmann, Christine; Maier, Matthias; Mengiardi, Bernard; Pfirrmann, Christian W A; Sutter, Reto

    2014-09-01

    To determine the spectrum of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings at the calcaneal attachment of the plantar fascia in asymptomatic volunteers. The study was approved by the institutional review board, and informed consent was obtained from all subjects. MR imaging was performed in 77 asymptomatic volunteers (mean age, 48.0 years; age range, 23-83 years) with use of a 1.5-T system. There were 40 women (mean age, 49.0 years; age range, 24-83 years) and 37 men (mean age, 48.0 years; age range, 23-83 years). Signal intensity characteristics and thickness of the medial, central, and lateral fascicles of the plantar fascia were assessed independently by two radiologists. The presence of soft-tissue edema, bone marrow edema, and bone spur formation at the attachment of the plantar fascia was noted. Datasets were analyzed with inferential statistic procedures. The mean thickness of the plantar fascia was 0.6 mm (medial fascicle), 4.0 mm (central fascicle), and 2.3 mm (lateral fascicle). Increased signal intensity in the plantar fascia was seen with the T1-weighted sequence in 16 of the 77 volunteers (21%), the T2-weighted sequence in six (7.8%), and the short inversion time inversion-recovery sequence in six (7.8%). Soft-tissue edema was seen deep to the plantar fascia in five of the 77 volunteers (6.5%) and superficial to the plantar fascia in 16 (21%). A calcaneal spur was detected in 15 of the 77 volunteers (19%). Calcaneal bone marrow edema was present in four volunteers (5.2%). T1-weighted signal intensity changes in the plantar fascia, soft-tissue edema superficial to the plantar fascia, and calcaneal spurs are common findings in asymptomatic volunteers and should be used with caution in the diagnosis of plantar fasciitis. Increased signal intensity within the plantar fascia with fluid-sensitive sequences is uncommon in asymptomatic volunteers.

  18. Noninvasive Quantitative Imaging of Collagen Microstructure in Three-Dimensional Hydrogels Using High-Frequency Ultrasound.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mercado, Karla P; Helguera, María; Hocking, Denise C; Dalecki, Diane

    2015-07-01

    Collagen I is widely used as a natural component of biomaterials for both tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. The physical and biological properties of fibrillar collagens are strongly tied to variations in collagen fiber microstructure. The goal of this study was to develop the use of high-frequency quantitative ultrasound to assess collagen microstructure within three-dimensional (3D) hydrogels noninvasively and nondestructively. The integrated backscatter coefficient (IBC) was employed as a quantitative ultrasound parameter to detect, image, and quantify spatial variations in collagen fiber density and diameter. Collagen fiber microstructure was varied by fabricating hydrogels with different collagen concentrations or polymerization temperatures. IBC values were computed from measurements of the backscattered radio-frequency ultrasound signals collected using a single-element transducer (38-MHz center frequency, 13-47 MHz bandwidth). The IBC increased linearly with increasing collagen concentration and decreasing polymerization temperature. Parametric 3D images of the IBC were generated to visualize and quantify regional variations in collagen microstructure throughout the volume of hydrogels fabricated in standard tissue culture plates. IBC parametric images of corresponding cell-embedded collagen gels showed cell accumulation within regions having elevated collagen IBC values. The capability of this ultrasound technique to noninvasively detect and quantify spatial differences in collagen microstructure offers a valuable tool to monitor the structural properties of collagen scaffolds during fabrication, to detect functional differences in collagen microstructure, and to guide fundamental research on the interactions of cells and collagen matrices.

  19. Intraarticular calcaneal fractures. Clinical results and functional analysis of the surgical treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calixto B, Luis Fernando; Gomez R, Jairo Fernando; Prieto S, Hernan Augusto

    2004-01-01

    This study evaluated the clinical and functional outcome of open reduction and internal fixation in intraarticular calcaneal fractures 22 patients with 24 intra-articular fractures of calcaneous were treated, 19 with open reduction and internal fixation using a 3.5 mm AO/ASIF calcaneal plate. The fractures were classified according the Sanders tomographic system. The Bohler angle was measured before and after the surgery. All patients were evaluated using the functional ankle-hind foot AOFAS scale (American Orthopaedics Foot and Ankle Society) 6 and 12 months after the surgery. Mean age was 39.8 years. The distribution according the type of fracture was: Sanders II: 41.67% and Sanders III: 58.33%. The mean value of the initial Bohler angle was 11.45% and the final was 24.5 degrees. The functional outcome after 6 months was 70 points and after 12 months was 82 points. There were only two complications (12.5%) a fistula and a wound dehiscence. The displaced and slightly comminuted intra articular fractures have the calcaneus (Sandres II and Sandres III) benefit of ORIF obtaining good functional outcomes 6 and 12 months after surgery. This procedure allows a better articular surface reduction, a satisfactory Bohler angle correction and earlier rehabilitation

  20. Ultrasound evaluation of a spontaneous plantar fascia rupture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louwers, Michael J; Sabb, Brian; Pangilinan, Percival H

    2010-11-01

    Plantar fascia rupture is an occasional complication in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis or in patients with plantar fasciitis treated with steroid injection. Very few cases of spontaneous plantar fascia rupture have been reported in the literature (Herrick and Herrick, Am J Sports Med 1983;11:95; Lun et al, Clin J Sports Med 1999;9:48-9; Rolf et al, J Foot Ankle Surg 1997;36:112-4; Saxena and Fullem, Am J Sports Med 2004;32:662-5). Spontaneous medial plantar fascia rupture in a 37-yr-old man with no preceding symptoms or steroid injections was confirmed with diagnostic ultrasound, which revealed severe fasciitis at the calcaneal insertion with partial tearing. After conservative treatment, the patient returned to full activities. We discuss the anatomy, risk factors, examination findings, and treatment for this condition, as well as the unique benefits that ultrasound offers over magnetic resonance imaging. It is important to consider plantar fascia rupture in patients with hindfoot pain and medioplantar ecchymosis, particularly if an injury occurred during acceleration maneuvers. Ultrasound in these cases can be used to diagnose a plantar fascia tear quickly, accurately, and cost-effectively.

  1. Quantitative Ultrasound Assessment of Cartilage Degeneration in Ovariectomized Rats with Low Estrogen Levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qing; Liu, Zhiwei; Wang, Yinong; Pan, Qingya; Feng, Qianjin; Huang, Qinghua; Chen, Wufan

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess quantitatively the site-specific degeneration of articular cartilage in ovariectomized rats with low estrogen levels using a high-frequency ultrasound system. Fourteen female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups (n = 7 per group): a sham group in which only the peri-ovarian fatty tissue was exteriorized and an ovariectomized group that underwent bilateral ovariectomy to create a menopause model with low estrogen levels. All animals were sacrificed at the end of the third week after ovariectomy. Hindlimbs were harvested. The articular cartilage from five anatomic sites (i.e., femoral caput [FC], medial femoral condyle [MFC], lateral femoral condyle [LFC], medial tibial plateau [MTP] and lateral tibial plateau [LTP]) was examined with ultrasound. Four parameters were extracted from the ultrasound radiofrequency data: reflection coefficient of the cartilage surface (RC1), reflection coefficient of the cartilage-bone interface (RC2), ultrasound roughness index (URI) and thickness of the cartilage tissue. The results indicated significant (p reduction induces morphologic and acoustic alterations in the articular cartilage of the hip and knee joints in ovariectomized rats. Copyright © 2016 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Effect of Intraoperative Three-Dimensional Imaging During the Reduction and Fixation of Displaced Calcaneal Fractures on Articular Congruence and Implant Fixation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eckardt, Henrik; Lind, Marianne

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Operative treatment of displaced calcaneal fractures should restore joint congruence, but conventional fluoroscopy is unable to fully visualize the subtalar joint. We questioned whether intraoperative 3-dimensional (3D) imaging would aid in the reduction of calcaneal fractures......, resulting in improved articular congruence and implant positioning. METHOD: Sixty-two displaced calcaneal fractures were operated on using standard fluoroscopic views. When the surgeon had achieved a satisfactory reduction, an intraoperative 3D scan was conducted, malreductions or implant imperfections were...

  3. Assessment of Bone Health in Men and Women Comparing DXA to Calcaneal Ultrasound

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Murphy, M

    2002-01-01

    ...) were assessed for bone mineral density (BMD, g/sq cm) and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA, db/MHz). BMD of the total body, regional and lumbar spine was measured via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry...

  4. Cross-sectional evaluation of electrical impedance myography and quantitative ultrasound for the assessment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in a clinical trial setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rutkove, Seward B; Geisbush, Tom R; Mijailovic, Aleksandar; Shklyar, Irina; Pasternak, Amy; Visyak, Nicole; Wu, Jim S; Zaidman, Craig; Darras, Basil T

    2014-07-01

    Electrical impedance myography and quantitative ultrasound are two noninvasive, painless, and effort-independent approaches for assessing neuromuscular disease. Both techniques have potential to serve as useful biomarkers in clinical trials in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. However, their comparative sensitivity to disease status and how they relate to one another are unknown. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of electrical impedance myography and quantitative ultrasound in 24 healthy boys and 24 with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, aged 2 to 14 years with trained research assistants performing all measurements. Three upper and three lower extremity muscles were studied unilaterally in each child, and the data averaged for each individual. Both electrical impedance myography and quantitative ultrasound differentiated healthy boys from those with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (P Duchenne muscular dystrophy boys (rho = 0.45; P = 0.029), whereas electrical impedance myography did not (rho = -0.31; P = 0.14). However, electrical impedance myography phase correlated with age in healthy boys (rho = 0.51; P = 0.012), whereas quantitative ultrasound did not (rho = -0.021; P = 0.92). In Duchenne muscular dystrophy boys, electrical impedance myography phase correlated with the North Star Ambulatory Assessment (rho = 0.65; P = 0.022); quantitative ultrasound revealed a near-significant association (rho = -0.56; P = 0.060). The two technologies trended toward a moderate correlation with one another in the Duchenne muscular dystrophy cohort but not in the healthy group (rho = -0.40; P = 0.054 and rho = -0.32; P = 0.13, respectively). Electrical impedance myography and quantitative ultrasound are complementary modalities for the assessment of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy; further study and application of these two modalities alone or in combination in a longitudinal fashion are warranted. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR DISPLACED FRACTURE OF THE CALCANEAL TUBEROSITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siva G. Prasad

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND The aim of the study is to compare the outcome following conservative or surgical treatment for displaced fracture of the medial process of the calcaneal tuberosity. MATERIALS AND METHODS 14 men and 4 women aged 20 to 44 years chose to undergo conservative (9 feet or surgical (10 feet treatment by a single surgeon for closed displaced fracture of the medial process of the calcaneal tuberosity. The injury mechanism was a fall from a height of <1.5 m; the mean time from injury to treatment was 3 (range 1-7 days. Conservative treatment comprised immobilisation in a plaster cast. Surgical treatment involved fixation with a half thread cannulated screw for large fragments (in 6 feet or a mini-plate for comminuted fragments (in 4 feet. At the final follow-up, the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS ankle and hind foot score was evaluated. RESULTS The conservative and surgery groups were comparable in terms of age, gender and fracture displacement. The mean follow-up duration was 20 (range, 14-24 months. All patients had bone union; none had implant loosening or breakage. One patient with surgical treatment developed skin numbness at the medial aspect of the heel that resolved following neurotrophic drug treatment for 3 months. The surgery group achieved earlier full weight bearing (5.8 vs. 7.5 weeks, p<0.001 and return to work (5.9 vs. 8.2 weeks, p=0.048, but comparable AOFAS score (89.0 vs. 88.2, p=0.4. CONCLUSION Surgery for displaced fracture of the medial process of the calcaneal tuberosity enabled earlier full weight bearing and return to work, but comparable AOFAS score.

  6. Risk factors for cervical and trochanteric hip fractures in elderly women: a population-based 10-year follow-up study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jokinen, Heikki; Pulkkinen, Pasi; Korpelainen, Juha; Heikkinen, Jorma; Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi, Sirkka; Jämsä, Timo; Korpelainen, Raija

    2010-07-01

    We evaluated the contribution of lifestyle-related factors, calcaneal ultrasound, and radial bone mineral density (BMD) to cervical and trochanteric hip fractures in elderly women in a 10-year population-based cohort study. The study population consisted of 1,681 women (age range 70-73 years). Seventy-two percent (n = 1,222) of them participated in the baseline measurements. Calcaneal ultrasound was assessed with a quantitative ultrasound device. BMD measurements were performed at the distal and ultradistal radius by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Forward stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to find the most predictive variables for hip fracture risk. During the follow-up, 53 of the women had hip fractures, including 32 cervical and 21 trochanteric ones. The fractured women were taller and thinner and had lower calcaneal ultrasound values than those without fractures. High body mass index (BMI) was a protective factor against any hip fractures, while low functional mobility was a risk factor of hip fractures. Specifically, high BMI protected against cervical hip fractures, while low physical activity was a significant predictor of these fractures. Similarly, high BMI protected against trochanteric fractures, whereas low functional mobility and high coffee consumption were significant predictors of trochanteric fractures. Cervical and trochanteric hip fractures seem to have different risk factors. Therefore, fracture type should be taken into account in clinical fracture risk assessment and preventative efforts, including patient counseling. However, the study is not conclusive due to the limited number of observed fractures during follow-up, and the results have to be confirmed in future studies.

  7. Quantitative shear wave ultrasound elastography: initial experience in solid breast masses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Andrew; Whelehan, Patsy; Thomson, Kim; McLean, Denis; Brauer, Katrin; Purdie, Colin; Jordan, Lee; Baker, Lee; Thompson, Alastair

    2010-01-01

    Shear wave elastography is a new method of obtaining quantitative tissue elasticity data during breast ultrasound examinations. The aims of this study were (1) to determine the reproducibility of shear wave elastography (2) to correlate the elasticity values of a series of solid breast masses with histological findings and (3) to compare shear wave elastography with greyscale ultrasound for benign/malignant classification. Using the Aixplorer® ultrasound system (SuperSonic Imagine, Aix en Provence, France), 53 solid breast lesions were identified in 52 consecutive patients. Two orthogonal elastography images were obtained of each lesion. Observers noted the mean elasticity values in regions of interest (ROI) placed over the stiffest areas on the two elastography images and a mean value was calculated for each lesion. A sub-set of 15 patients had two elastography images obtained by an additional operator. Reproducibility of observations was assessed between (1) two observers analysing the same pair of images and (2) findings from two pairs of images of the same lesion taken by two different operators. All lesions were subjected to percutaneous biopsy. Elastography measurements were correlated with histology results. After preliminary experience with 10 patients a mean elasticity cut off value of 50 kilopascals (kPa) was selected for benign/malignant differentiation. Greyscale images were classified according to the American College of Radiology (ACR) Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). BI-RADS categories 1-3 were taken as benign while BI-RADS categories 4 and 5 were classified as malignant. Twenty-three benign lesions and 30 cancers were diagnosed on histology. Measurement of mean elasticity yielded an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.99 for two observers assessing the same pairs of elastography images. Analysis of images taken by two independent operators gave an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.80. Shear wave elastography versus

  8. [Manipulative reduction and external fixation with cardboard splint for the treatment of calcaneal fractures: a 60-case report].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Bo-Chuan; Xie, Ke-Bo

    2014-07-01

    To investigate the therapeutic effects of manipulative reduction for calcaneal fractures. From January 2009 to June 2012, 53 cases (60 affected feet) of Sanders type I-IV calcaneal fractures were treated by manipulative reduction and external fixation with cardboard splint,including 45 males and 8 females with an average age of (33.5 +/- 1.54) years old ranging from 18 to 65. The course of disease ranged 0.5 h to 7 d. Before treatment the feet were swelling, ache and activity limitation in evidence, some feet were wide flat deformity, the cortical bone was broken in the imaging examination. All selected cases were evaluated using Creighton-Nebraska health foundation assessment scale for fractures of calcaneus. All cases were followed up at 12 months after treatment, 13 feet got excellent curative effect, 34 good, 11 moderate and 2 poor. Manipulative reduction for Sanders type I-IV calcaneal fractures could get excellent curative effect. Manipulative reduction for calcaneal fractures could avoid surgical trauma while assure high curative effects. Manipulative reduction is not only economical and easy therapy, but also can restore maximum function of the calcaneus with few complications and facilitate early rehabilitation of ankle and joint function.

  9. Comparison of longitudinal excursion of a nerve-phantom model using quantitative ultrasound imaging and motion analysis system methods: A convergent validity study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paquette, Philippe; El Khamlichi, Youssef; Lamontagne, Martin; Higgins, Johanne; Gagnon, Dany H

    2017-08-01

    Quantitative ultrasound imaging is gaining popularity in research and clinical settings to measure the neuromechanical properties of the peripheral nerves such as their capability to glide in response to body segment movement. Increasing evidence suggests that impaired median nerve longitudinal excursion is associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. To date, psychometric properties of longitudinal nerve excursion measurements using quantitative ultrasound imaging have not been extensively investigated. This study investigates the convergent validity of the longitudinal nerve excursion by comparing measures obtained using quantitative ultrasound imaging with those determined with a motion analysis system. A 38-cm long rigid nerve-phantom model was used to assess the longitudinal excursion in a laboratory environment. The nerve-phantom model, immersed in a 20-cm deep container filled with a gelatin-based solution, was moved 20 times using a linear forward and backward motion. Three light-emitting diodes were used to record nerve-phantom excursion with a motion analysis system, while a 5-cm linear transducer allowed simultaneous recording via ultrasound imaging. Both measurement techniques yielded excellent association ( r  = 0.99) and agreement (mean absolute difference between methods = 0.85 mm; mean relative difference between methods = 7.48 %). Small discrepancies were largely found when larger excursions (i.e. > 10 mm) were performed, revealing slight underestimation of the excursion by the ultrasound imaging analysis software. Quantitative ultrasound imaging is an accurate method to assess the longitudinal excursion of an in vitro nerve-phantom model and appears relevant for future research protocols investigating the neuromechanical properties of the peripheral nerves.

  10. FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME OF INTERNAL FIXATION FOR DISPLACED INTRA-ARTICULAR CALCANEAL FRACTURE

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    Saket Jati

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND There are always difference of opinion in the importance of Bohler’s angle in evaluating the severity of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures and predicting the functional outcome following surgical fixation. The purpose of this research, the relationship exists between Bohler’s angle and the injury severity of displaced calcaneal fractures and between surgical improvement of Bohler’s angle and its practical outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients were treated surgically for unilateral closed displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures from May 2014 to October 2016 were identified. The Bohler’s angles of bilateral calcaneus were measured and was compared to the dimension of the uninjured foot was used as its normal control. The difference in the value of Bohler’s angle measured preoperatively or after surgery between the angle of the damaged foot and that of the contralateral calcaneus was calculated, respectively. The change in Bohler’s angle by ratio was calculated by dividing the variation in the value of Bohler’s angle between bilateral calcaneus by its typical control. The injury severity was assessed according to Sanders classification. The functional outcomes were assessed using American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society hindfoot scores. RESULTS 30 patients were included into the study with a mean follow-up duration of 30 months. According to Sanders classification, the fracture pattern included 12 type II, 10 type III and 8 type IV fractures. According to American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society hindfoot scoring system, the excellent, good, fair and poor results were achieved in 10, 8, 4 and 2 patients, respectively. The preoperative Bohler’s angle, difference value of Bohler’s angle between bilateral calcaneus and change in Bohler’s angle by ratio each has a significant relationship with Sanders classification (P=0.003; P=0.004; P=0.005, respectively, however, is not correlated with

  11. Calcaneal Fractures in Non-Racing Dogs and Cats: Complications, Outcome, and Associated Risk Factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, Karen L; Adams, Robert J; Woods, Samantha; Bruce, Mieghan

    2017-01-01

    To estimate the prevalence of complications and describe the outcome associated with calcaneal fractures in non-racing dogs and in cats. Retrospective multicenter clinical cohort study. Medical records of client-owned dogs and cats (2004-2013). Medical records were searched and 50 animals with calcaneal fractures were included for analysis. Complications were recorded and an outcome score applied to each fracture. Associations between putative risk factors and both major complications, and final outcome scores were explored. Complications occurred in 27/50 fractures (61%) including 23 major and 4 minor complications. At final follow-up, 4 animals (10%) were sound, 27 (64%) had either intermittent or consistent mild weight-bearing lameness, 7 (17%) had moderate weight-bearing lameness, and 1 (2%) had severe weight-bearing lameness. Fractures managed using plates and screws had a lower risk of complications than fractures managed using pin and tension band wire, lag or positional screws or a combination of these techniques (Relative risk 0.16, 95% CI 0.02-1.02, P=.052). Non-sighthounds had reduced odds of a poorer outcome score than sighthounds (Odds ratio 0.11, 95% CI 0.02-0.50, P=.005) and fractures with major complications had 13 times the odds of a poorer outcome score (Odds ratio 13.4, 95% CI 3.6-59.5, Pdogs and in cats, and a poorer outcome score was more likely in animals with complications. A more guarded prognosis should be given to owners of non-racing dogs or cats with calcaneal fractures than previously applied to racing Greyhounds with calcaneal fractures. © 2016 The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

  12. Lessons from the Bone Chapter of the Malaysian Aging Men Study

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    Kok-Yong Chin

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Male osteoporosis in Malaysia is a largely neglected problem. Therefore, a bone health study in men using quantitative ultrasonometry was launched as part of the Malaysian Aging Men Study in 2009–2012. This review aimed to summarize the findings of the aforementioned bone health study. The study examined the bone health of Chinese and Malaysian men aged 20 years and above living in Kuala Lumpur using a quantitative ultrasound device. Participants answered a questionnaire on their demographic details and physical activity status. Body anthropometry of the participants was measured and their blood collected for biochemical analysis. Results showed that a significant proportion of the Malaysian Chinese and Malay men had suboptimal bone health indicated by calcaneal speed of sound and vitamin D status. Age-related decline of the calcaneal speed of sound in these men was gradual and biphasic without ethnic difference. Body anthropometry such as height, weight, body mass index, and body fat percentage contributed to the variation of the calcaneal speed of sound in Malaysian men. Age-related changes in testosterone, insulin-like growth factor 1, and thyroid stimulating hormone also influenced the calcaneal speed of sound in these men. This study serves as a reminder that male osteoporosis in Malaysia should be an issue of concern. It is also a basis for a more comprehensive study on bone health in men in the future.

  13. Lessons from the Bone Chapter of the Malaysian Aging Men Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chin, Kok-Yong; Wan Ngah, Wan Zurinah; Ima-Nirwana, Soelaiman

    2016-05-25

    Male osteoporosis in Malaysia is a largely neglected problem. Therefore, a bone health study in men using quantitative ultrasonometry was launched as part of the Malaysian Aging Men Study in 2009-2012. This review aimed to summarize the findings of the aforementioned bone health study. The study examined the bone health of Chinese and Malaysian men aged 20 years and above living in Kuala Lumpur using a quantitative ultrasound device. Participants answered a questionnaire on their demographic details and physical activity status. Body anthropometry of the participants was measured and their blood collected for biochemical analysis. Results showed that a significant proportion of the Malaysian Chinese and Malay men had suboptimal bone health indicated by calcaneal speed of sound and vitamin D status. Age-related decline of the calcaneal speed of sound in these men was gradual and biphasic without ethnic difference. Body anthropometry such as height, weight, body mass index, and body fat percentage contributed to the variation of the calcaneal speed of sound in Malaysian men. Age-related changes in testosterone, insulin-like growth factor 1, and thyroid stimulating hormone also influenced the calcaneal speed of sound in these men. This study serves as a reminder that male osteoporosis in Malaysia should be an issue of concern. It is also a basis for a more comprehensive study on bone health in men in the future.

  14. VALIDITY AND REPRODUCIBILITY OF MEASURING THE KINEMATIC COUPLING BEHAVIOR OF CALCANEAL PRONATION/SUPINATION AND SHANK ROTATION DURING WEIGHT BEARING USING AN OPTICAL THREE-DIMENSIONAL MOTION ANALYSIS SYSTEM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masahiro Edo

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: It’s important to understand the kinematic coupling of calcaneus and shank to optimize the pathological movement of the lower extremity. However, the quantitative indicator to show the kinematic coupling hasn’t been clarified. We measured the angles of calcaneal pronation-to-supination and shank rotation during pronation and supination of both feet in standing position and devised a technique to quantify the kinematic coupling behavior of calcaneal pronation/supination and shank rotation as the linear regression coefficient (kinematic chain ratio: KCR of those measurements. Therefore, we verified the validity and reproducibility of this technique. Methods: This study is a non-comparative cross-sectional study. The KCR, which is an outcome, was measured using an optical three-dimensional motion analysis system in 10 healthy subjects. The coefficient of determination (R² was calculated for the linear regression equation of the angle of calcaneal pronation-to-supination and angle of shank rotation, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC [1,1] was calculated for the KCR during foot pronation and foot supination and for the KCR measured on different days. And also, skin movement artifacts were investigated by measurement of the displacement of bone and body surface markers in one healthy subject. Results: The linear regression equation of calcaneal pronation/supination and the angle of shank rotation included R²≥0.9 for all subjects. The KCR on foot pronation and supination had an ICC(1,1 of 0.95. The KCR measured on different days had an ICC(1,1 of 0.72. Skin movement artifacts were within the allowable range. Conclusion: The validity and reproducibility of this technique were largely good, and the technique can be used to quantify kinematic coupling behavior.

  15. Calcaneal Insufficiency Fracture Secondary to Celiac Disease-Induced Osteomalacia: A Rare Cause of Heel Pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kose, Ozkan; Kilicaslan, Omer Faruk; Ozyurek, Selahattin; Ince, Ahmet

    2016-04-01

    Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of plantar heel pain; however, a broad spectrum of disorders may also present with plantar heel pain. A detailed history, physical examination, laboratory testing, and imaging studies may be necessary to reach an accurate diagnosis. Herein, the clinical presentation of a 33-year-old woman with calcaneal insufficiency fracture secondary to celiac disease-induced osteomalacia is presented, and its diagnosis and treatment are discussed. Calcaneal insufficiency fractures should be kept in mind in a patient with celiac disease that presents with heel pain. Therapeutic, Level IV: Case study. © 2015 The Author(s).

  16. Changes in quantitative ultrasound in preterm and term infants during the first year of life

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    Tansug, Nermin, E-mail: ntansug@hotmail.com [Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 45020 Manisa (Turkey); Yildirim, Sule Aslan, E-mail: sulesln@yahoo.com [Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 45020 Manisa (Turkey); Canda, Ebru, E-mail: ebruerbass@hotmail.com [Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 45020 Manisa (Turkey); Ozalp, Deniz, E-mail: bluexxdeniz@hotmail.com [Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 45020 Manisa (Turkey); Yilmaz, Ozge, E-mail: oyilmaz_76@hotmail.com [Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 45020 Manisa (Turkey); Taneli, Fatma, E-mail: fatma.taneli@bayar.edu.tr [Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, 45020 Manisa (Turkey); Ersoy, Betuel, E-mail: betul_e@hotmail.com [Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 45020 Manisa (Turkey)

    2011-09-15

    Since most of in utero bone mass accretion occurs during the third trimester and postnatal need for bone nutrients is increased, preterm infants have an increased risk of low bone mass. Early identification of the risk is of crucial importance. Quantitative ultrasound, which is a relatively inexpensive, portable, noninvasive, and radiation-free method, gives information about bone density, cortical thickness, elasticity and microarchitecture. The aim of this study was to obtain quantitative ultrasound measurements of tibial speed of sound of preterm and term infants and to assess clinical factors associated with these measurements during the first year of life. Seventy-eight preterm and 48 term infants were enrolled in this study. Measurements were made on the 10th day of life in both groups, and were repeated on the 2nd, 6th and 12th months for preterm infants and on the12th month for the term infants. Speed of sound on preterm infants was significantly decreased on the 2nd month but significantly increased on the 12th month (P = 0.00). Comparing speed of sound of term and preterm infants, 10th day measurements were significantly different (P = 0.00), but there was not any significant difference between the 12th month values (P = 0.26). There was not any relation between biochemical parameters and speed of sound. The technique has potential clinical value for assessment of bone status. Further studies with long term follow up are needed to evaluate the value of quantitative ultrasound with other bone markers to predict the risk of fracture.

  17. Changes in quantitative ultrasound in preterm and term infants during the first year of life

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tansug, Nermin; Yildirim, Sule Aslan; Canda, Ebru; Ozalp, Deniz; Yilmaz, Ozge; Taneli, Fatma; Ersoy, Betuel

    2011-01-01

    Since most of in utero bone mass accretion occurs during the third trimester and postnatal need for bone nutrients is increased, preterm infants have an increased risk of low bone mass. Early identification of the risk is of crucial importance. Quantitative ultrasound, which is a relatively inexpensive, portable, noninvasive, and radiation-free method, gives information about bone density, cortical thickness, elasticity and microarchitecture. The aim of this study was to obtain quantitative ultrasound measurements of tibial speed of sound of preterm and term infants and to assess clinical factors associated with these measurements during the first year of life. Seventy-eight preterm and 48 term infants were enrolled in this study. Measurements were made on the 10th day of life in both groups, and were repeated on the 2nd, 6th and 12th months for preterm infants and on the12th month for the term infants. Speed of sound on preterm infants was significantly decreased on the 2nd month but significantly increased on the 12th month (P = 0.00). Comparing speed of sound of term and preterm infants, 10th day measurements were significantly different (P = 0.00), but there was not any significant difference between the 12th month values (P = 0.26). There was not any relation between biochemical parameters and speed of sound. The technique has potential clinical value for assessment of bone status. Further studies with long term follow up are needed to evaluate the value of quantitative ultrasound with other bone markers to predict the risk of fracture.

  18. [Treatment of calcaneal avulsion fractures with twinfix suture anchors fixation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Bin-xiu; Wang, Kun-zheng; Wang, Chun-sheng; Xie, Yue; Dai, Zhi-tang; Liu, Gang; Liu, Wei-dong

    2011-06-01

    For the calcaneal avulsion fracture, the current method is more commonly used screws or Kirschner wire to fix fracture fragment. This article intended to explore the feasibility and clinical efficacy for the treatment of avulsion fractures with TwinFix suture anchors. From July 2007 to November 2010, 21 patients were reviewed, including 15 males and 6 females, ranging in age from 49 to 65 years,with a mean of 58.7 years. Twelve patients had nodules in the right heel and 9 patients had nodules in the left heel. All the patients had closed fractures. The typical preoperative symptoms of the patients included pain in the upper heel and weak in heel lift. Body examination results: palpable sense of bone rubbing in the back of the heel, and swelling in the heel. Surgery treatment with TwinFix suture anchors performed as follows : to fix TwinFix suture anchors into the calcaneal body, then to drill the fracture block, to make the double strand suture through the fracture holes, to knot the suture eachother to fix the block, and to use stitch to fix the remaining suture in the Achilles tendon in order to improve the block fixation. The criteria of the AOFAS Foot and Ankle Surgery by the United States Association of ankle-rear foot functional recovery was used to evaluate the Achilles tendon. Total average score was (95.5 +/- 3.12) points, including pain items of(38.5 +/- 2.18) points,the average score of functional items of (49.5 +/- 3.09) points,and power lines of 10 points in all patients. Twenty-one patients got an excellent result, 16 good and 5 poor. The methods of treatment for the calcaneal avulsion fractures with TwinFix suture anchors is a simple operation, and have excellent clinical effect, which is worthy of promotion.

  19. Clinical Comparison of Extensile Lateral Approach and Sinus Tarsi Approach Combined with Medial Distraction Technique for Intra-Articular Calcaneal Fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Hai-Chao; Yu, Tao; Ren, Hao-Yang; Li, Bing; Chen, Kai; Zhao, You-Guang; Yang, Yun-Feng

    2017-02-01

    To study and compare the clinical outcomes of open reduction and internal fixation via extensile L-shape incision and limited open reduction via the sinus tarsi approach using the medial distraction technique for intra-articular calcaneal fractures. We performed a retrospective review of 65 intra-articular calcaneal fractures treated operatively between March 2012 and February 2015. Patients were divided into two groups: 28 were in the sinus tarsi approach group and 37 were in the extensile lateral approach group. All patients were asked to return for a research visit that included radiography and clinical evaluation. The postoperative function was evaluated using the ankle and hindfoot score of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) and the visual analogue scale (VAS). No significant difference was found in demographics between the two groups. The corrected value of the calcaneal varus angle between the two groups is statistically significant (P articular calcaneal fractures could reduce the incidence of wound complications effectively, and the medial distraction technique is helpful for correcting the calcaneus varus deformity. © 2017 Chinese Orthopaedic Association and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  20. Fuzzy logic algorithm for quantitative tissue characterization of diffuse liver diseases from ultrasound images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badawi, A M; Derbala, A S; Youssef, A M

    1999-08-01

    Computerized ultrasound tissue characterization has become an objective means for diagnosis of liver diseases. It is difficult to differentiate diffuse liver diseases, namely cirrhotic and fatty liver by visual inspection from the ultrasound images. The visual criteria for differentiating diffused diseases are rather confusing and highly dependent upon the sonographer's experience. This often causes a bias effects in the diagnostic procedure and limits its objectivity and reproducibility. Computerized tissue characterization to assist quantitatively the sonographer for the accurate differentiation and to minimize the degree of risk is thus justified. Fuzzy logic has emerged as one of the most active area in classification. In this paper, we present an approach that employs Fuzzy reasoning techniques to automatically differentiate diffuse liver diseases using numerical quantitative features measured from the ultrasound images. Fuzzy rules were generated from over 140 cases consisting of normal, fatty, and cirrhotic livers. The input to the fuzzy system is an eight dimensional vector of feature values: the mean gray level (MGL), the percentile 10%, the contrast (CON), the angular second moment (ASM), the entropy (ENT), the correlation (COR), the attenuation (ATTEN) and the speckle separation. The output of the fuzzy system is one of the three categories: cirrhosis, fatty or normal. The steps done for differentiating the pathologies are data acquisition and feature extraction, dividing the input spaces of the measured quantitative data into fuzzy sets. Based on the expert knowledge, the fuzzy rules are generated and applied using the fuzzy inference procedures to determine the pathology. Different membership functions are developed for the input spaces. This approach has resulted in very good sensitivities and specificity for classifying diffused liver pathologies. This classification technique can be used in the diagnostic process, together with the history

  1. Feasibility of Quantitative Ultrasound Measurement of the Heel Bone in People with Intellectual Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mergler, S.; Lobker, B.; Evenhuis, H. M.; Penning, C.

    2010-01-01

    Low bone mineral density (BMD) and fractures are common in people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Reduced mobility in case of motor impairment and the use of anti-epileptic drugs contribute to the development of low BMD. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) measurement of the heel bone is a non-invasive and radiation-free method for measuring bone…

  2. Quantitative Analysis of Patellar Tendon Abnormality in Asymptomatic Professional “Pallapugno” Players: A Texture-Based Ultrasound Approach

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    Kristen M. Meiburger

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Abnormalities in B-mode ultrasound images of the patellar tendon often take place in asymptomatic athletes but it is still not clear if these modifications forego or can predict the development of tendinopathy. Subclinical tendinopathy can be arbitrarily defined as either (1 the presence of light structural changes in B-mode ultrasound images in association with mild neovascularization (determined with Power Doppler images or (2 the presence of moderate/severe structural changes with or without neovascularization. Up to now, the structural changes and neovascularization of the tendon are evaluated qualitatively by visual inspection of ultrasound images. The aim of this study is to investigate the capability of a quantitative texture-based approach to determine tendon abnormality of “pallapugno” players. B-mode ultrasound images of the patellar tendon were acquired in 14 players and quantitative texture parameters were calculated within a Region of Interest (ROI of both the non-dominant and the dominant tendon. A total of 90 features were calculated for each ROI, including 6 first-order descriptors, 24 Haralick features, and 60 higher-order spectra and entropy features. These features on the dominant and non-dominant side were used to perform a multivariate linear regression analysis (MANOVA and our results show that the descriptors can be effectively used to determine tendon abnormality and, more importantly, the occurrence of subclinical tendinopathy.

  3. Quantitative ultrasound at the hand phalanges in patients with bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws

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    Ana Carolina Fragoso MOTTA

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Patients with bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ who received intravenous or oral bisphosphonates (BP were selected for determination of their bone microarchitecture as a risk predictor of BRONJ development. The diagnosis of BRONJ was made based on clinical and radiographic findings. The control group consisted of healthy patients. All patients underwent quantitative and qualitative ultrasound measurements of bone at the hand phalanges carried out using the DBM Sonic BP. Ultrasound bone profile index (UBPI, amplitude-dependent speed of sound (AD-SoS, bone biophysics profile (BBP, and bone transmission time (BTT were measured. The BRONJ group consisted of 17 patients (62 ± 4.24; range: 45-82; 10 (58.8% were male and seven (41.1% were female, of whom 11 (64.7% suffered from multiple myeloma, three (17.6% from osteoporosis, one (5.8% from prostate cancer, one (5.8% from kidney cancer, and one (5.8% from leukemia. Fourteen (82.3% of them received intravenous BP whereas three (17.6% received oral BP. Nine (9/17; 52.9% patients developed bone exposure: two in the maxilla and seven in the mandible. Regarding quantitative parameters, Ad-SoS was low in the BRONJ group, but not significant. The UBPI score was significantly reduced in BRONJ patients with exposed bone when compared to controls (0.47 ± 0.12 vs. 0.70 ± 0.15; p = 0.004. The present study demonstrated that quantitative ultrasound was able to show bone microarchitecture alterations in BRONJ patients, and suggests that these analyses may be an important tool for early detection of bone degeneration associated with BRONJ.

  4. Urinary cadmium excretion is correlated with calcaneal bone mass i Japanese women living in an urban area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Honda, Ryumon; Tsuritani, Ikiko; Noborisaka, Yuka; Suzuki, Hisa; Ishizaki, Masao; Yamada, Yuichi

    2003-01-01

    Nine hundred eight women aged 40-88 years living in a non-Cd-polluted area in Japan were analyzed for urinary cadmium (Cd) N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity, β 2 -microglobuli (B2MG) concentration, and for the stiffness index (STIFF) of calcaneal bone using an ultrasound method. The urinary Cd in the subjects, with a mean an range of 2.87 and 0.25-11.4 μg/g creatinine, respectively, showed significant correlation with NAG but not with B2MG. STIFF was significantly inversely correlated with urinary Cd, and the association remaine significant after adjusting for age, body weight, and menstrual status suggesting a significant effect of Cd on the bone loss in these subject without signs of Cd-induced kidney damage. A two-fold increase in urinary C was accompanied by a decrease in STIFF corresponding to a 1.7-year rise in age. These results emphasize the need for reassessment of the significance of Cd exposure in the general Japanese population

  5. TDF and quantitative ultrasound bone quality in African patients on second line ART, ANRS 12169 2LADY sub-study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kabore, Firmin Nongodo; Eymard-Duvernay, Sabrina; Zoungrana, Jacques; Badiou, Stéphanie; Bado, Guillaume; Héma, Arsène; Diouf, Assane; Delaporte, Eric; Koulla-Shiro, Sinata; Ciaffi, Laura; Cournil, Amandine

    2017-01-01

    Bone demineralization, which leads to osteoporosis and increased fracture risk, is a common metabolic disorder in HIV-infected individuals. In this study, we aimed to assess the change in bone quality using quantitative ultrasound (QUS) over 96 weeks of follow-up after initiation of second-line treatment, and to identify factors associated with change in bone quality. In a randomized trial (ANRS 12169), TDF and PI-naïve participants failing standard first-line treatment, from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and Senegal were randomized to receive either TDF/FTC/LPVr, ABC/ddI/LPVr or TDF/FTC/DRVr. Their bone quality was assessed using calcaneal QUS at baseline and every 24 weeks until week 96. Stiffness index (SI) was used to measure bone quality. Out of 228 participants, 168 (74%) were women. At baseline, median age was 37 years (IQR: 33-46 years) and median T-CD4 count was 199 cells/μl (IQR: 113-319 cells/μl). The median duration of first-line antiretroviral treatment (ART) was 52 months (IQR: 36-72 months) and the median baseline SI was 101 (IQR: 87-116). In multivariable analysis, factors associated with baseline SI were sex (β = -10.8 [-18.1,-3.5] for women), age (β = -8.7 [-12.4,-5.1] per 10 years), body mass index (BMI) (β = +0.8 [0.1,1.5] per unit of BMI), and study site (β = +12.8 [6.5,19.1] for Cameroon). After 96 weeks of second-line therapy, a reduction of 7.1% in mean SI was observed, as compared with baseline. Factors associated with SI during the follow-up were similar to those found at baseline. Exposure to TDF was not associated with a greater loss of bone quality over time. Bone quality decreased after second-line ART initiation in African patients independently of TDF exposure. Factors associated with bone quality include age, sex, baseline BMI, study site, and duration of follow-up.

  6. Normal skeletal development and imaging pitfalls of the calcaneal apophysis: MRI features

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    Rossi, Ignacio [Musculoskeletal Research Fellow at NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY (United States); Centro de Diagnostico Dr. Enrique Rossi, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Rosenberg, Zehava [NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY (United States); Zember, Jonathan [Albert Einstein College of Medicine Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, NY (United States)

    2016-04-15

    Heel pain in children and secondary MR imaging (MRI) of the hindfoot have been increasing in incidence. Our purpose is to illustrate the, previously unreported, MRI stages in development of the posterior calcaneal apophysis, with attention to imaging pitfalls. This should aid in distinguishing normal growth from true disease. Consecutive ankle MRIs in children <18 years, from 2008-2014, were subdivided into 0≤5, 5≤10, 10≤15 and 15≤18 age groups and retrospectively reviewed for development of the calcaneal apophysis. 204 ankle MRI studies in 188 children were identified. 40 studies were excluded with final cohort of 164 studies in 154 patients (82 boys, 72 girls). The calcaneal apophysis was cartilaginous until age 5. Foci of decreased as well as increased signal were embedded in cartilage, prior to ossification. Early, secondary ossification centers appeared in plantar third of the apophysis in 100 % of children by age 7. Increased T2 signal in the ossifications was seen in 30 % of children. Apohyseal fusion began at 12 and was complete in 78 % of 14≤15 year olds and in 88 % of 15≤18 year olds. Curvilinear low signal in the ossification centers, paralleling, but distinguished from growth plate, and not be confused with fracture line, was common. Development of the posterior calcaneus follows a unique sequence. Apophyseal fusion occurs earlier than reported in the literature. Familiarity with this maturation pattern, in particular the apophyseal increased T2 signal and the linear low signal paralleling the growth plate, will avoid misinterpreting it for pathology. (orig.)

  7. Normal skeletal development and imaging pitfalls of the calcaneal apophysis: MRI features

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rossi, Ignacio; Rosenberg, Zehava; Zember, Jonathan

    2016-01-01

    Heel pain in children and secondary MR imaging (MRI) of the hindfoot have been increasing in incidence. Our purpose is to illustrate the, previously unreported, MRI stages in development of the posterior calcaneal apophysis, with attention to imaging pitfalls. This should aid in distinguishing normal growth from true disease. Consecutive ankle MRIs in children <18 years, from 2008-2014, were subdivided into 0≤5, 5≤10, 10≤15 and 15≤18 age groups and retrospectively reviewed for development of the calcaneal apophysis. 204 ankle MRI studies in 188 children were identified. 40 studies were excluded with final cohort of 164 studies in 154 patients (82 boys, 72 girls). The calcaneal apophysis was cartilaginous until age 5. Foci of decreased as well as increased signal were embedded in cartilage, prior to ossification. Early, secondary ossification centers appeared in plantar third of the apophysis in 100 % of children by age 7. Increased T2 signal in the ossifications was seen in 30 % of children. Apohyseal fusion began at 12 and was complete in 78 % of 14≤15 year olds and in 88 % of 15≤18 year olds. Curvilinear low signal in the ossification centers, paralleling, but distinguished from growth plate, and not be confused with fracture line, was common. Development of the posterior calcaneus follows a unique sequence. Apophyseal fusion occurs earlier than reported in the literature. Familiarity with this maturation pattern, in particular the apophyseal increased T2 signal and the linear low signal paralleling the growth plate, will avoid misinterpreting it for pathology. (orig.)

  8. CALCANEAL MINERAL DENSITY IN CHILDREN ATHLETES AND TAKE-OFF LEG

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Borislav Obradović

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available It is well-known that physical activity has an anabolic effect on the bone tissue. To examine the influence of the take-off lower limb to the bone density we studied a group of prepubertal boys and girls at the initial phase of their peak bone mass acquisition. A sample consisted of 60 subjects ie., 32 soccer players (boys, 10.7±0.5 years old and 28 swimmers (15 girls and 13 boys, 10.8±0.8 years old, who had performed at least one year of high-level sport training (10-15 hours per week for soccer players, 8-12 hours per week for swimmers. The sample was divided into two groups: the first consisted of 40 subjects, with the left take-off leg, while the second consisted of 20 subjects, with the right take-off leg. The bone mineral density (BMD measurements of the left and the right calcaneus were performed using ultrasound densitometer “Sahara” (Hologic, Inc., MA, USA. There were no significant differences between the groups in regard to BUA and SOS of both the left and the right take-off lower legs. Mean BUA of the take-off left leg and the take-off right leg were different, but not significantly (p>0.05. Likewise, mean SOS of the take-off left leg and the take-off right leg were different, but it was not significant (p>0.05. The results do not indicate that the take-off lower limb has an influence on calcaneal bone mineral density.

  9. Assessment of bone in Ehlers Danlos syndrome by ultrasound and densitometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dolan, A L; Arden, N K; Grahame, R; Spector, T D

    1998-10-01

    Ehlers Danlos syndrome (EDS) is an inherited disorder of connective tissue characterised by hyperextensible skin, joint laxity, and easy bruising. There are phenotypic similarities with osteogenesis imperfecta, but in EDS a tendency to fracture or altered bone mass has not previously been considered to be a cardinal feature. This case-control design study investigates whether 23 patients with EDS had differences in fracture rates, bone mass, and calcaneal ultrasound parameters compared with age and sex matched controls. 23 cases of EDS (mean (SD) age 38.5 (15.5)) were compared with 23 controls (mean age 37.8 (14.5)). A significant reduction in bone density measured by dual energy x ray absorptiometry was found at the neck of femur by 0.9 SD, p = 0.05, and lumbar spine by 0.74 SD, p = 0.02. At the calcaneum, broad band ultrasound attenuation and speed of sound were significantly reduced compared with controls by 0.95 SD (p = 0.004) and 0.49 SD (p = 0.004) for broad band ultrasound attenuation and speed of sound respectively. Broad band ultrasound attenuation and speed of sound remained significantly reduced after adjusting for bone mineral density (BMD). After adjusting for functional status (HAQ), age and sex, hypermobility was inversely correlated with broad band ultrasound attenuation and SOS, but not BMD at hip or spine. Previous fracture was 10 times more common in EDS (p exercise. This is one of the first clinical studies to suggest ultrasound can detect structural differences in bone, independent of dual energy x ray absorptiometry.

  10. Quantitative Ultrasound for Measuring Obstructive Severity in Children with Hydronephrosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cerrolaza, Juan J; Peters, Craig A; Martin, Aaron D; Myers, Emmarie; Safdar, Nabile; Linguraru, Marius George

    2016-04-01

    We define sonographic biomarkers for hydronephrotic renal units that can predict the necessity of diuretic nuclear renography. We selected a cohort of 50 consecutive patients with hydronephrosis of varying severity in whom 2-dimensional sonography and diuretic mercaptoacetyltriglycine renography had been performed. A total of 131 morphological parameters were computed using quantitative image analysis algorithms. Machine learning techniques were then applied to identify ultrasound based safety thresholds that agreed with the t½ for washout. A best fit model was then derived for each threshold level of t½ that would be clinically relevant at 20, 30 and 40 minutes. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed. Sensitivity, specificity and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were determined. Improvement obtained by the quantitative imaging method compared to the Society for Fetal Urology grading system and the hydronephrosis index was statistically verified. For the 3 thresholds considered and at 100% sensitivity the specificities of the quantitative imaging method were 94%, 70% and 74%, respectively. Corresponding area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values were 0.98, 0.94 and 0.94, respectively. Improvement obtained by the quantitative imaging method over the Society for Fetal Urology grade and hydronephrosis index was statistically significant (p hydronephrosis can identify thresholds of clinically significant washout times with 100% sensitivity to decrease the number of diuretic renograms in up to 62% of children. Copyright © 2016 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Histological evaluation of calcaneal tuberosity cartilage--A proposed donor site for osteochondral autologous transplant for talar dome osteochondral lesions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calder, James D F; Ballal, Moez S; Deol, Rupinderbir S; Pearce, Christopher J; Hamilton, Paul; Lutz, Michael

    2015-09-01

    Osteochondral Autologous Transplant (OATs) as a treatment option for Osteochondral lesions (OCLs) of the talar dome frequently uses the distal femur as the donor site which is associated with donor site morbidity in up to 50%. Some studies have described the presence of hyaline cartilage in the posterior superior calcaneal tuberosity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the posterior superior calcaneal tuberosity to determine if it can be a suitable donor site for OATs of the talus In this cadaveric study, we histologically evaluated 12 osteochondral plugs taken from the posterior superior calcaneal tuberosity and compared them to 12 osteochondral plugs taken from the talar dome. In the talar dome group, all samples had evidence of hyaline cartilage with varying degrees of GAG staining. The average hyaline cartilage thickness in the samples was 1.33 mm. There was no evidence of fibrocartilage, fibrous tissue or fatty tissue in this group. In contrast, the Calcaneal tuberosity samples had no evidence of hyaline cartilage. Fibrocartilage was noted in 3 samples only. We believe that the structural differences between the talus and calcanium grafts render the posterior superior clancaneal tuberosity an unsuitable donor site for OATs in the treatment of OCL of the talus. Copyright © 2014 European Foot and Ankle Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Quantitative analysis of normal fetal brain volume and flow by three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ju-Chun Hsu

    2013-09-01

    Conclusion: 3D ultrasound can be used to assess the fetal brain volume and blood flow development quantitatively. Our study indicates that the fetal brain vascularization and blood flow correlates significantly with the advancement of GA. This information may serve as a reference point for further studies of the fetal brain volume and blood flow in abnormal conditions.

  13. Value of Quantitative Three-dimensional Doppler Ultrasound in the Differentiation of Benign and Malignant Thyroid Nodules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wen-Bo; Zhang, Bo; Jiang, Yu-Xin; Zhu, Qing-Li; Zhang, Qing; Sun, Jian

    2015-06-01

    To investigate the role of quantitative three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler ultrasound in differentiating malignant and benign thyroid nodule. A total of 92 lesions in 86 patients were preoperatively examined using 3D power Doppler ultrasound. The Virtual Organ Computer-aided Analysis(VOCAL)-imaging program was used to analyze the stored volume ultrasound. The differences in the mean gray value (MG), vascularization index (VI), flow index(FI), and vascularization flow index (VFI) were compared between benign and malignant lesions. The MG of the malignant thyroid nodules was significantly lower than that of the benign ones (28.27±7.21 vs. 32.89±8.73,P=0.007). The benign nodules had significantly higher VI,FI,and VFI than the malignant nodules [VI:(40.43±26.55)% vs. (26.87±23.06)%,P=0.011;FI:41.03±7.19 vs. 37.51±7.17,P=0.022;VFI:18.23±14.60 vs. 11.47±12.47, P=0.009]. Also,76.5% (39/51) of the malignant nodules and 92.7% (38/41) of the benign nodules had higher VIs in the shell of the lesion than that of the whole lesion,and 80.4%(41/51) of the malignant nodules and 95.1% (39/41) of the benign nodules had higher FIs in the shell of the lesion than that of the whole lesion. Quantitative 3D power Doppler ultrasound provides a useful tool in distinguishing benign and malignant thyroid nodules. The malignant thyroid nodules have lower echoes than the benign nodules, wherese the benign nodules have larger blood flow than the malignant nodules.

  14. Breast-Lesion Characterization using Textural Features of Quantitative Ultrasound Parametric Maps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadeghi-Naini, Ali; Suraweera, Harini; Tran, William Tyler; Hadizad, Farnoosh; Bruni, Giancarlo; Rastegar, Rashin Fallah; Curpen, Belinda; Czarnota, Gregory J

    2017-10-20

    This study evaluated, for the first time, the efficacy of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) spectral parametric maps in conjunction with texture-analysis techniques to differentiate non-invasively benign versus malignant breast lesions. Ultrasound B-mode images and radiofrequency data were acquired from 78 patients with suspicious breast lesions. QUS spectral-analysis techniques were performed on radiofrequency data to generate parametric maps of mid-band fit, spectral slope, spectral intercept, spacing among scatterers, average scatterer diameter, and average acoustic concentration. Texture-analysis techniques were applied to determine imaging biomarkers consisting of mean, contrast, correlation, energy and homogeneity features of parametric maps. These biomarkers were utilized to classify benign versus malignant lesions with leave-one-patient-out cross-validation. Results were compared to histopathology findings from biopsy specimens and radiology reports on MR images to evaluate the accuracy of technique. Among the biomarkers investigated, one mean-value parameter and 14 textural features demonstrated statistically significant differences (p feature selection method could classify the legions with a sensitivity of 96%, a specificity of 84%, and an AUC of 0.97. Findings from this study pave the way towards adapting novel QUS-based frameworks for breast cancer screening and rapid diagnosis in clinic.

  15. Comparison of the Conventional Surgery and the Surgery Assisted by 3d Printing Technology in the Treatment of Calcaneal Fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Wenhao; Tao, Zhenyu; Lou, Yiting; Feng, Zhenhua; Li, Hang; Cheng, Liang; Zhang, Hui; Wang, Jianshun; Guo, Xiaoshan; Chen, Hua

    2017-09-19

    This study was aimed to compare conventional surgery and surgery assisted by 3D printing technology in the treatment of calcaneal fractures. In addition, we also investigated the effect of 3D printing technology on the communication between doctors and patients. we enrolled 75 patients with calcaneal fracture from April 2014 to August 2016. They were divided randomly into two groups: 35 cases of 3D printing group, 40 cases of conventional group. The individual models were used to simulate the surgical procedures and carry out the surgery according to plan in 3D printing group. Operation duration, blood loss volume during the surgery, number of intraoperative fluoroscopy and fracture union time were recorded. The radiographic outcomes Böhler angle, Gissane angle, calcaneal width and calcaneal height and final functional outcomes including VAS and AOFAS score as well as the complications were also evaluated. Besides, we made a simple questionnaire to verify the effectiveness of the 3D-printed model for both doctors and patients. The operation duration, blood loss volume and number of intraoperative fluoroscopy for 3D printing group was 71.4 ± 6.8 minutes, 226.1 ± 22.6 ml and 5.6 ± 1.9 times, and for conventional group was 91.3 ± 11.2 minutes, 288.7 ± 34.8 ml and 8.6 ± 2.7 times respectively. There was statistically significant difference between the conventional group and 3D printing group (p 3D printing group achieved significantly better radiographic results than conventional group both postoperatively and at the final follow-up (p 3D printing model. This study suggested the clinical feasibility of 3D printing technology in treatment of calcaneal fractures.

  16. Partial calcanectomy and Ilizarov external fixation may reduce amputation need in severe diabetic calcaneal ulcers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akkurt, Mehmet Orçun; Demirkale, Ismail; Öznur, Ali

    2017-01-01

    Objective : The treatment of diabetic hindfoot ulcers is a challenging problem. In addition to serial surgical debridements, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and local wound care play important roles in the surgeon's armamentarium, for both superficial infection and gangrene of the soft tissue, often complicated by osteomyelitis of the calcaneus. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of an aggressive approach from diagnosis to treatment of calcaneal osteomyelitis in foot-threatening diabetic calcaneal ulcers. Methods : The study included 23 patients with diabetic hindfoot ulcers who were treated with radical excision of the necrotic tissue and application of circular external fixation. The treatment protocol was a combination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided debridement of the necrotic tissues and application of an Ilizarov external fixator in plantarflexion to decrease the soft-tissue defect. Primary outcome measures were total cure of infection and obvious healing of the osteomyelitis at 12 weeks determined by MRI, and clinical cure through objective assessment of the appearance of the wound. Results : The wounds healed in 18 of the 23 patients (78%), partial recovery occurred and subsequent flap operation was performed in three patients (13%), and below-the-knee amputation was performed in two patients (9%). Conclusions : This surgical protocol is effective in ameliorating diabetic hindfoot ulcers with concomitant calcaneal osteomyelitis, and satisfactorily reduces the need for amputation.

  17. Investigation of a dual modal method for bone pathologies using quantitative ultrasound and photoacoustics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinberg, Idan; Gannot, Israel; Eyal, Avishay

    2015-03-01

    Osteoporosis is a widespread disease that has a catastrophic impact on patient's lives and overwhelming related healthcare costs. In recent works, we have developed a multi-spectral, frequency domain photoacoustic method for the evaluation of bone pathologies. This method has great advantages over pure ultrasonic or optical methods as it provides both molecular information from the bone absorption spectrum and bone mechanical status from the characteristics of the ultrasound propagation. These characteristics include both the Speed of Sound (SOS) and Broadband Ultrasonic Attenuation (BUA). To test the method's quantitative predictions, we have constructed a combined ultrasound and photoacoustic setup. Here, we experimentally present a dual modality system, and compares between the methods on bone samples in-vitro. The differences between the two modalities are shown to provide valuable insight into the bone structure and functional status.

  18. [Tibio-talo-calcaneal arthrodesis with the retrograde intramedullary nail MEDIN].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popelka, S; Vavřík, P; Landor, I; Bek, J; Popelka ml, S; Hromádka, R

    2013-01-01

    When the talus and the talocalcaneal joint are both affected, their fusion is the method of treatment. Ankle arthrodesis is carried out using various osteosynthetic materials such as external fixators, screws and plates. One of the options is retrograde nailing. Tibio-talo-calcaneal arthrodesis is frequently indicated in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in whom both the talus and the subtalar joint are often affected. A retrograde nail for tibio-talo-calcaneal arthrodesis was developed at our department in cooperation with MEDIN Company. This is a titanium double-curved nail, with the distal part bent at 8 degrees ventrally and 10 degrees laterally. It is inserted from the transfibular approach. Sixty-two patients, 35 women and 27 men, were treated at our department from 2005. Since one patient had bilateral surgery, 63 ankles were included. The indications for arthrodesis involved rheumatoid arthritis in 42, post-traumatic arthritis in 10, failed ankle arthrodesis in two and failed total ankle arthroplasty in five ankles; tibial stress fractures close above the ankle in two RA patients, one patient with dermatomyositis and one with lupus erythematodes. The average age at the time of surgery was 64.2 years (range, 30 to 80). The average follow-up was 4.5 years (range, 1 to 9 years), Satisfaction with the treatment outcome and willingness to undergo surgery on the other side were reported by 82% of the patients. The AOFAS score improved from 35 to 74 points. Three (4.8%) patients complained of painful feet due to the fact that exact correction of the calcaneus was not achieved and the heel after arthrodesis remained in a slightly varus position. Of them, two had a failed total ankle arthroplasty. Post-operative complications included early infection managed by antibiotic treatment and early surgical revision with irrigation.in two (3.2%) RA patients, who were undergoing biological therapy. Late infection developed at 2 to 3 years after surgery in three (4

  19. Achilles tenodesis for calcaneal insufficiency avulsion fractures associated with diabetes mellitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Youngrak; Kwon, Young-Woo; Sim, Young-Suk; Kim, Taeho; Song, Dayoung; Lee, Soohyun

    2017-12-13

    Calcaneal insufficiency avulsion (CIA) fractures often present with neuropathic etiology, such as Charcot neuroarthropathy (CN). Under the same surgical procedures, the outcomes of CIA fractures are less desirable, compared to the outcomes of the traumatic calcaneal avulsion fractures. Here, the study suggests Achilles tenodesis technique using suture anchor after resection of the CIA fracture fragments could provide satisfactory clinical results in the cases of surgically indicated CIA fractures. This retrospective study included seven patients of calcaneal avulsion fracture who had underlying diabetes mellitus (DM) and no specific traumatic event. The patients were treated with Achilles tenodesis techniques for their CIA fractures. Achilles tenodesis was performed using suture anchor with removal of the fracture fragments. The patients were evaluated with the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS), visual analogue scale (VAS), single-heel rise test, and X-ray images on their final follow-ups. Initially, three of the CIA fracture cases treated with traditional open reduction and internal fixation reported pullout failure. Consequently, all patients received Achilles tenodesis using suture anchor after bone fragment resection and had good clinical outcomes. Only one subject with low compliance reported poor outcome. The FAOS of each patient were obtained at a mean of 16.3 months after surgery. The results are as follows: pain 80.6 (SD = 6.2), symptom 83.8 (SD = 4.9), activities of daily living 80.5 (SD = 8.0), sport and recreation function 75.6 (SD = 11.93), and foot- and ankle-related quality of life 77.9 (SD = 6.7). On their final follow-ups, the average VAS was 2.6 (range, 1 to 4). Achilles tenodesis using suture anchor after bone fragment resection achieved competent clinical results in the patients with CIA fractures. The study proposes that this surgical procedure could be an appropriate treatment option for patients with CIA fractures. The

  20. Comparison of Diagnostic Performance of Semi-Quantitative Knee Ultrasound and Knee Radiography with MRI: Oulu Knee Osteoarthritis Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Podlipská, Jana; Guermazi, Ali; Lehenkari, Petri; Niinimäki, Jaakko; Roemer, Frank W.; Arokoski, Jari P.; Kaukinen, Päivi; Liukkonen, Esa; Lammentausta, Eveliina; Nieminen, Miika T.; Tervonen, Osmo; Koski, Juhani M.; Saarakkala, Simo

    2016-01-01

    Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative musculoskeletal disease highly prevalent in aging societies worldwide. Traditionally, knee OA is diagnosed using conventional radiography. However, structural changes of articular cartilage or menisci cannot be directly evaluated using this method. On the other hand, ultrasound is a promising tool able to provide direct information on soft tissue degeneration. The aim of our study was to systematically determine the site-specific diagnostic performance of semi-quantitative ultrasound grading of knee femoral articular cartilage, osteophytes and meniscal extrusion, and of radiographic assessment of joint space narrowing and osteophytes, using MRI as a reference standard. Eighty asymptomatic and 79 symptomatic subjects with mean age of 57.7 years were included in the study. Ultrasound performed best in the assessment of femoral medial and lateral osteophytes, and medial meniscal extrusion. In comparison to radiography, ultrasound performed better or at least equally well in identification of tibio-femoral osteophytes, medial meniscal extrusion and medial femoral cartilage morphological degeneration. Ultrasound provides relevant additional diagnostic information on tissue-specific morphological changes not depicted by conventional radiography. Consequently, the use of ultrasound as a complementary imaging tool along with radiography may enable more accurate and cost-effective diagnostics of knee osteoarthritis at the primary healthcare level. PMID:26926836

  1. Evaluation of breast lesions by contrast enhanced ultrasound: Qualitative and quantitative analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wan Caifeng; Du Jing; Fang Hua; Li Fenghua; Wang Lin

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate and compare the diagnostic performance of qualitative, quantitative and combined analysis for characterization of breast lesions in contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), with histological results used as the reference standard. Methods: Ninety-one patients with 91 breast lesions BI-RADS 3–5 at US or mammography underwent CEUS. All lesions underwent qualitative and quantitative enhancement evaluation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of different analytical method for discrimination between benign and malignant breast lesions. Results: Histopathologic analysis of the 91 lesions revealed 44 benign and 47 malignant. For qualitative analysis, benign and malignant lesions differ significantly in enhancement patterns (p z1 ), 0.768 (A z2 ) and 0.926(A z3 ) respectively. The values of A z1 and A z3 were significantly higher than that for A z2 (p = 0.024 and p = 0.008, respectively). But there was no significant difference between the values of A z1 and A z3 (p = 0.625). Conclusions: The diagnostic performance of qualitative and combined analysis was significantly higher than that for quantitative analysis. Although quantitative analysis has the potential to differentiate benign from malignant lesions, it has not yet improved the final diagnostic accuracy.

  2. Quantitative muscle ultrasound versus quantitative MRI in facioscapulohumeral dystrophy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janssen, B.H.; Pillen, S.; Voet, N.B.M.; Heerschap, A.; Engelen, B.G.M. van; Alfen, N. van

    2014-01-01

    Background: Ultrasound and MR imaging are non-invasive methods that can be performed repeatedly and without discomfort. In the assessment of neuromuscular disorders it is unknown if they hold complementary information. In this study we tested this for patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular

  3. Automatic Ultrasound Scanning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Moshavegh, Ramin

    on the user adjustments on the scanner interface to optimize the scan settings. This explains the huge interest in the subject of this PhD project entitled “AUTOMATIC ULTRASOUND SCANNING”. The key goals of the project have been to develop automated techniques to minimize the unnecessary settings...... on the scanners, and to improve the computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) in ultrasound by introducing new quantitative measures. Thus, four major issues concerning automation of the medical ultrasound are addressed in this PhD project. They touch upon gain adjustments in ultrasound, automatic synthetic aperture image...

  4. Diagnostic value of MR analysis of cartilaginous lesions compared with intraoperative arthroscopy in calcaneal fractures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schroeder, R.J.; Nekwasil, S.J.; Felix, R.; Hidajat, N.; Boack, D.H.; Haas, N.P.; Martus, P.

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the diagnostic value of MRI in preoperative analysis and classification of cartilaginous lesions - especially of the posterior facet - in traumatic calcaneal fractures compared with intraoperative arthroscopy. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four consecutive patients with traumatic calcaneal fractures underwent prospective MRI of the subtalar joint surface using T1- and T2-weighted spin echo sequences and fat suppressed 3D gradient echo sequences in semicoronal slice orientation (1.5 T MRI). After randomization, the images were analyzed by two blinded and independent readers experienced in MRI. The results were compared with the intraoperative arthroscopic findings as to location and depth of the defects using the Outerbridge classification. Results: We examined 12 calcaneal fractures of type 2, 8 of type 3 and 4 of type 4 according to the Sanders classification. With respect to principal detection and exact classification, 67 to 96 (69.8%) of all arthroscopic verified cartilaginous defects were diagnosed correctly by MRI. Disregarding the degree of the defects, 38 of 44 (86.4%) chondral lesions were detected (sensitivity: 86.4%, specificity: 86.5%, diagnostic accuracy: 86.5%). Considering the chondral lesions of degrees 3 and 4 together, the sensitivity was 86.0%, the specificity 86.8%, and the diagnostic accuracy 86.5%. Assessing these degrees separately, the sensitivity was only 33.3% for degree 3 and 58.1% for degree 4, whereas the specificity was definitely higher with 82.1% for degree 3 and 89.2% for degree 4. (orig.)

  5. The plantar calcaneal spur: a review of anatomy, histology, etiology and key associations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirkpatrick, Joshua; Yassaie, Omid; Mirjalili, Seyed Ali

    2017-06-01

    The plantar calcaneal spur (PCS) is a bony outgrowth from the calcaneal tuberosity and has been studied using various methods including cadavers, radiography, histology and surgery. However, there are currently a number of discrepancies in the literature regarding the anatomical relations, histological descriptions and clinical associations of PCS. Historically, authors have described the intrinsic muscles of the foot and/or the plantar fascia as attaching to the PCS. In this article we review the relationship between the PCS and surrounding soft tissues as well as examining the histology of the PCS. We identify a number of key associations with PCS, including age, weight, gender, arthritides, plantar fasciitis and foot position; these factors may function as risk factors in PCS formation. The etiology of these spurs is a contentious issue and it has been explained through a number of theories including the degenerative, inflammatory, traction, repetitive trauma, bone-formers and vertical compression theories. We review these and finish by looking clinically at the evidence that PCS causes heel pain. © 2017 Anatomical Society.

  6. Soft tissue reconstruction for calcaneal fractures or osteomyelitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Attinger, C; Cooper, P

    2001-01-01

    A systematic approach of the surgical management of a calcaneal fracture can minimize the potential of soft tissue complications. When reducing a closed calcaneal fracture, the incision used affects the postoperative complications. The L-shaped incision with the horizontal limb lying on the lateral glabrous junction ensures maximum blood flow to either side of the incision. Whether or not the wound can be closed primarily depends on the preexisting edema, the lost calcaneal height, and the delay between the fracture and reduction (Fig. 20). The wrinkle test is a good indicator that the incision can be closed primarily if the amount of height restored is minimal. If the edema is too great, steps should be taken to reduce it sufficiently to allow successful wound closure. If the wound, after reduction, is too wide to allow primary closure, an ADM flap laterally or an AHM flap medially should be used. For larger defects, a free flap should be considered. The three important steps to reconstruction of soft tissue defects around the calcaneus include good blood supply, a infection-free wound, and the simplest soft tissue reconstructive option that covers the wound successfully. Adequate blood supply can be determined by the use of Doppler. If the supply is inadequate, revascularization is necessary before proceeding. Achieving a clean wound requires aggressive debridement, intravenous antibiotics, and good wound care. Adjuncts that can help in achieving a clean wound include topical antibiotics (silver sulfadiazine), the VAC, and hyperbaric oxygen. Osteomyelitis has to be treated aggressively. Any suspicious bone has to be removed. Only clean, healthy, bleeding bone is left behind. Antibiotic beads can be useful when there is doubt as to whether the cancellous bone is infection-free. The beads are not a substitute for good debridement, however. Soft tissue reconstruction ranges from delayed primary closure to the use of microsurgical free flaps (Fig. 21). When bone or

  7. Evaluation of the peak bone mass by quantitative heel ultrasound in young women of the centre of Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Puxeddu

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To measure the reference young adult mean values in healthy women of the centre of Italy by Quantitative heel UltraSound (QUS. Methods: The study group was composed by 70 caucasian women: mean age was 25.4 years (Standard Deviation 4.7, mean weight was 58 Kg (SD 8.2, mean height was 166 cm (SD 5.8, mean BMI was 20.9 kg/m2 (SD 2.5. Every subject was evaluated firstly with an original questionnaire to discover risk factors (like for example steroids consumption, recent fractures of the lower limb, then was measured by quantitative heel ultrasonometry Hologic Sahara. Results: Mean extimated Bone Mineral Density (BMD 0.588 g/cm2 (SD 0.124 mean Quantitative Ultrasound Index (QUI 105.0 (SD 19.6, mean Speed of Sound (SOS 1564.2 m/s (SD 31.4, mean Broadband Ultrasound Attenuation (BUA 84.8 dB/MHz (SD 17.4. No significant correlation was found between QUS parameters and anthropometric data. A correlation was found between every QUS parameters. No significant differences were found about QUI and extimated BMD, between our results and Hologic normative data for European women. Conclusions: It is very important to develop specific reference values for any measurement device and site of skeleton especially in the age of reaching the peak bone mass because the T score is then measured referring to these data. Usually the normative data are supplied by manufacturer and are based on large multicentric study. In our opinion it could be helpful to verify if these data are compatible with the population examined in every region.

  8. Work- and travel-related physical activity and alcohol consumption: relationship with bone mineral density and calcaneal quantitative ultrasonometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sritara, Chanika; Thakkinstian, Ammarin; Ongphiphadhanakul, Boonsong; Pornsuriyasak, Prapaporn; Warodomwichit, Daruneewan; Akrawichien, Tawatchai; Vathesatogkit, Prin; Sritara, Piyamitr

    2015-01-01

    A number of healthy workers rarely exercise because of a lack of time or resources. Physical activity related to work and everyday travel may be more feasible, but evidence of its beneficial effect on bone health is scarce. We assessed if this form of physical activity was associated with higher bone mineral density (BMD) and stiffness index (SI) when adjusted for recreational physical activity, age, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, education, and serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Healthy workers, aged 25-54 yr, of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand were surveyed. The outcomes were BMD (lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total hip) and calcaneal SI. Physical activity was estimated using the global physical activity questionnaire and considered active when >600 metabolic equivalent tasks (min). Of 2268 subjects, 74% were men. Active male subjects had significantly higher BMD at the femoral neck and total hip (pwomen (p>0.05). In men, work and travel physical activity seems beneficial to male bone health; hence, it should be encouraged. Furthermore, smoking appeared harmful while moderate alcohol consumption was beneficial. Copyright © 2015 The International Society for Clinical Densitometry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. A method to validate quantitative high-frequency power doppler ultrasound with fluorescence in vivo video microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinter, Stephen Z; Kim, Dae-Ro; Hague, M Nicole; Chambers, Ann F; MacDonald, Ian C; Lacefield, James C

    2014-08-01

    Flow quantification with high-frequency (>20 MHz) power Doppler ultrasound can be performed objectively using the wall-filter selection curve (WFSC) method to select the cutoff velocity that yields a best-estimate color pixel density (CPD). An in vivo video microscopy system (IVVM) is combined with high-frequency power Doppler ultrasound to provide a method for validation of CPD measurements based on WFSCs in mouse testicular vessels. The ultrasound and IVVM systems are instrumented so that the mouse remains on the same imaging platform when switching between the two modalities. In vivo video microscopy provides gold-standard measurements of vascular diameter to validate power Doppler CPD estimates. Measurements in four image planes from three mice exhibit wide variation in the optimal cutoff velocity and indicate that a predetermined cutoff velocity setting can introduce significant errors in studies intended to quantify vascularity. Consistent with previously published flow-phantom data, in vivo WFSCs exhibited three characteristic regions and detectable plateaus. Selection of a cutoff velocity at the right end of the plateau yielded a CPD close to the gold-standard vascular volume fraction estimated using IVVM. An investigator can implement the WFSC method to help adapt cutoff velocity to current blood flow conditions and thereby improve the accuracy of power Doppler for quantitative microvascular imaging. Copyright © 2014 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. The subtalar distraction bone block arthrodesis following the late complications of calcaneal fractures: A systematic review

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    T. Schepers (Tim)

    2013-01-01

    textabstractIntroduction: The late complications following a displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures includes painful arthrosis for which a subtalar fusion might be considered. In case of malalignment due to loss of height and varus deformity a reconstructive arthrodesis is necessary. The

  11. Quantitative muscle ultrasound in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: a comparison of techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shklyar, Irina; Geisbush, Tom R; Mijialovic, Aleksandar S; Pasternak, Amy; Darras, Basil T; Wu, Jim S; Rutkove, Seward B; Zaidman, Craig M

    2015-02-01

    Muscle pathology in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) can be quantified using ultrasound by measuring either the amplitudes of sound-waves scattered back from the tissue [quantitative backscatter analysis (QBA)] or by measuring these backscattered amplitudes after compression into grayscale levels (GSL) obtained from the images. We measured and compared QBA and GSL from 6 muscles of 25 boys with DMD and 25 healthy subjects, aged 2-14 years, with age and, in DMD, with function (North Star Ambulatory Assessment). Both QBA and GSL were measured reliably (intraclass correlation ≥ 0.87) and were higher in DMD than controls (P muscle increased (rho ≥ 0.47, P muscle did not. QBA and GSL measured from superficial regions of muscle can similarly quantify muscle pathology in DMD. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Correlates between calcaneal morphology and locomotion in extant and extinct carnivorous mammals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panciroli, Elsa; Janis, Christine; Stockdale, Maximilian; Martín-Serra, Alberto

    2017-10-01

    Locomotor mode is an important component of an animal's ecology, relating to both habitat and substrate choice (e.g., arboreal versus terrestrial) and in the case of carnivores, to mode of predation (e.g., ambush versus pursuit). Here, we examine how the morphology of the calcaneum, the 'heel bone' in the tarsus, correlates with locomotion in extant carnivores. Other studies have confirmed the correlation of calcaneal morphology with locomotion behaviour and habitat. The robust nature of the calcaneum means that it is frequently preserved in the fossil record. Here, we employ linear measurements and 2D-geometric morphometrics on a sample of calcanea from eighty-seven extant carnivorans and demonstrate a signal of correlation between calcaneal morphology and locomotor mode that overrides phylogeny. We used this correlation to determine the locomotor mode, and hence aspects of the palaeobiology of, 47 extinct carnivorous mammal taxa, including both Carnivora and Creodonta. We found ursids (bears), clustered together, separate from the other carnivorans. Our results support greater locomotor diversity for nimravids (the extinct 'false sabertooths', usually considered to be more arboreal), than previously expected. However, there are limitations to interpretation of extinct taxa because their robust morphology is not fully captured in the range of modern carnivoran morphology. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. The effect of sports activities in children and adolescents on the calcaneus - an investigation with quantitative ultrasound

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mentzel, H.J.; Malich, A.; Boettcher, J.; Vogt, S.; Kaiser, W.A.; Wuensche, K.

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: To determine whether quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters speed of sound (SOS) and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) on the calcaneus are different between athletic children and a reference population. Patients and Methods: From a college of physical education, 177 children and adolescents (121 boys and 56 girls, age range from 11 to 18 years) were included in this study. QUS was performed on the calcaneus using the Sahara trademark device (Hologic, USA). SOS and BUA were estimated. Regional reference values of 3299 children were used to determine significant differences between athletes and reference population. The influence of activity level, age, height, and weight was estimated using correlation analysis. Results: Sportsmen showed significant (p<0.05) higher values of the QUS parameters (SOS 1581.1 m/s; BUA 69.7 dB/MHz) compared to the reference data (SOS 1563.9 m/s; BUA 64.2 dB/MHz). Significant correlation was observed between BUA and the level of activity, age, weight, and height (p<0.01) and between SOS and weight and height (p<0.05). In the group of soccer players and athletes, significant correlation was found between BUA vs. age and BUA vs. weight (p<0.05). Furthermore, significant correlation was observed between BUA vs. age and weight in Judokas and Wrestlers. For the level of activity, a significant correlation to BUA was only found in the group of Judokas and Wrestlers (p<0.01). Conclusion: An increase in quantitative ultrasound parameters on the calcaneus occurs in children and adolescents with increased physical activity. (orig.)

  14. Wound infections following open reduction and internal fixation of calcaneal fractures with an extended lateral approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Backes, Manouk; Schepers, Tim; Beerekamp, M. Suzan H.; Luitse, Jan S. K.; Goslings, J. Carel; Schep, Niels W. L.

    2014-01-01

    Post-operative wound infections (PWI) following calcaneal fracture surgery can lead to prolonged hospital stay and additional treatment with antibiotics, surgical debridement or implant removal. Our aim was to determine the incidence of superficial and deep PWI and to identify risk factors (RF).

  15. Higher body mass, older age and higher monounsaturated fatty acids intake reflect better quantitative ultrasound parameters in Inuit preschoolers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jessy El Hayek

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Objectives. Investigate the effects of selected factors associated with quantitative ultrasound parameters among Inuit preschoolers living in Arctic communities (56° 32′–72° 40′N. Materials and methods. Children were selected randomly in summer and early fall (n=296. Dietary intake was assessed through the administration of a 24-h dietary recall (24-h recall and a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ. Anthropometry was measured using standardized procedures. Plasma 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OHD and parathyroid hormone (PTH were measured using a chemiluminescent assay (Liaison, Diasorin. Quantitative ultrasound parameters were measured using Sahara Sonometer, (Hologic Inc.. Results. Children divided by speed of sound (SoS and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA quartiles were not different for age (years, sex (M/F, calcium (mg/d and vitamin D intake (µg/d and plasma 25(OHD concentration (nmol/L. However, children in the highest BUA and SoS quartile had higher body mass index (BMI compared to those in quartile 1. Using multivariate linear regression, higher BMI, older age and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA intake were predictors of BUA while only BMI was a predictor of SoS. Conclusions. Further investigation assessing intakes of traditional foods (TF and nutrients affecting bone parameters along with assessment of vitamin D status of Inuit children across seasons is required.

  16. The subtalar distraction bone block arthrodesis following the late complications of calcaneal fractures: a systematic review

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schepers, T.

    2013-01-01

    The late complications following a displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures includes painful arthrosis for which a subtalar fusion might be considered. In case of malalignment due to loss of height and varus deformity a reconstructive arthrodesis is necessary. The primary aim of the current

  17. TU-H-CAMPUS-IeP3-04: Evaluation of Changes in Quantitative Ultrasound Parameters During Prostate Radiotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Najafi, M; El Kaffas, A; Han, B [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA (United States); Cooper, D [Elekta Inc., Montreal, QC (Canada); Hancock, S; Hristov, D

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: Clarity Autoscan ultrasound monitoring system allows acquisition of raw radiofrequency (RF) ultrasound data prior and during radiotherapy. This enables the computation of 3D Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS) tissue parametric maps from. We aim to evaluate whether QUS parameters undergo changes with radiotherapy and thus potentially be used as early predictors and/or markers of treatment response in prostate cancer patients. Methods: In-vivo evaluation was performed under IRB protocol to allow data collection in prostate patients treated with VMAT whereby prostate was imaged through the acoustic window of the perineum. QUS spectroscopy analysis was carried out by computing a tissue power spectrum normalized to the power spectrum obtained from a quartz to remove system transfer function effects. A ROI was selected within the 3D image volume of the prostate. Because longitudinal registration was optimal, the same features could be used to select ROIs at roughly the same location in images acquired on different days. Parametric maps were generated within the rectangular ROIs with window sizes that were approximately 8 times the wavelength of the ultrasound. The mid-band fit (MBF), spectral slope (SS) and spectral intercept (SI) QUS parameters were computed for each window within the ROI and displayed as parametric maps. Quantitative parameters were obtained by averaging each of the spectral parameters over the whole ROI. Results: Data was acquired for over 21 treatment fractions. Preliminary results show changes in the parametric maps. MBF values decreased from −33.9 dB to −38.7 dB from pre-treatment to the last day of treatment. The spectral slope increased from −1.1 a.u. to −0.5 a.u., and spectral intercept decreased from −28.2 dB to −36.3 dB over the 21 treatment regimen. Conclusion: QUS parametric maps change over the course of treatment which warrants further investigation in their potential use for treatment planning and predicting treatment

  18. TU-H-CAMPUS-IeP3-04: Evaluation of Changes in Quantitative Ultrasound Parameters During Prostate Radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Najafi, M; El Kaffas, A; Han, B; Cooper, D; Hancock, S; Hristov, D

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Clarity Autoscan ultrasound monitoring system allows acquisition of raw radiofrequency (RF) ultrasound data prior and during radiotherapy. This enables the computation of 3D Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS) tissue parametric maps from. We aim to evaluate whether QUS parameters undergo changes with radiotherapy and thus potentially be used as early predictors and/or markers of treatment response in prostate cancer patients. Methods: In-vivo evaluation was performed under IRB protocol to allow data collection in prostate patients treated with VMAT whereby prostate was imaged through the acoustic window of the perineum. QUS spectroscopy analysis was carried out by computing a tissue power spectrum normalized to the power spectrum obtained from a quartz to remove system transfer function effects. A ROI was selected within the 3D image volume of the prostate. Because longitudinal registration was optimal, the same features could be used to select ROIs at roughly the same location in images acquired on different days. Parametric maps were generated within the rectangular ROIs with window sizes that were approximately 8 times the wavelength of the ultrasound. The mid-band fit (MBF), spectral slope (SS) and spectral intercept (SI) QUS parameters were computed for each window within the ROI and displayed as parametric maps. Quantitative parameters were obtained by averaging each of the spectral parameters over the whole ROI. Results: Data was acquired for over 21 treatment fractions. Preliminary results show changes in the parametric maps. MBF values decreased from −33.9 dB to −38.7 dB from pre-treatment to the last day of treatment. The spectral slope increased from −1.1 a.u. to −0.5 a.u., and spectral intercept decreased from −28.2 dB to −36.3 dB over the 21 treatment regimen. Conclusion: QUS parametric maps change over the course of treatment which warrants further investigation in their potential use for treatment planning and predicting treatment

  19. EX VIVO STUDY OF QUANTITATIVE ULTRASOUND PARAMETERS IN FATTY RABBIT LIVERS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghoshal, Goutam; Lavarello, Roberto J.; Kemmerer, Jeremy P.; Miller, Rita J.; Oelze, Michael L.

    2012-01-01

    Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects more than 30% of Americans, and with increasing problems of obesity in the United States, NAFLD is poised to become an even more serious medical concern. At present, accurate classification of steatosis (fatty liver) represents a significant challenge. In this study, the use of high-frequency (8 to 25 MHz) quantitative ultrasound (QUS) imaging to quantify fatty liver was explored. QUS is an imaging technique that can be used to quantify properties of tissue giving rise to scattered ultrasound. The changes in the ultrasound properties of livers in rabbits undergoing atherogenic diets of varying durations were investigated using QUS. Rabbits were placed on a special fatty diet for 0, 3, or 6 weeks. The fattiness of the livers was quantified by estimating the total lipid content of the livers. Ultrasonic properties, such as speed of sound, attenuation, and backscatter coefficients, were estimated in ex vivo rabbit liver samples from animals that had been on the diet for varying periods. Two QUS parameters were estimated based on the backscatter coefficient: effective scatterer diameter (ESD) and effective acoustic concentration (EAC), using a spherical Gaussian scattering model. Two parameters were estimated based on the backscattered envelope statistics (the k parameter and the μ parameter) according to the homodyned K distribution. The speed of sound decreased from 1574 to 1565 m/s and the attenuation coefficient increased from 0.71 to 1.27 dB/cm/MHz, respectively, with increasing fat content in the liver. The ESD decreased from 31 to 17 μm and the EAC increased from 38 to 63 dB/cm3 with increasing fat content in the liver. A significant increase in the μ parameter from 0.18 to 0.93 scatterers/mm3 was observed with increasing fat content in the liver samples. The results of this study indicate that QUS parameters are sensitive to fat content in the liver. PMID:23062376

  20. Response monitoring of breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy using quantitative ultrasound, texture, and molecular features.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lakshmanan Sannachi

    Full Text Available Pathological response of breast cancer to chemotherapy is a prognostic indicator for long-term disease free and overall survival. Responses of locally advanced breast cancer in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC settings are often variable, and the prediction of response is imperfect. The purpose of this study was to detect primary tumor responses early after the start of neoadjuvant chemotherapy using quantitative ultrasound (QUS, textural analysis and molecular features in patients with locally advanced breast cancer.The study included ninety six patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Breast tumors were scanned with a clinical ultrasound system prior to chemotherapy treatment, during the first, fourth and eighth week of treatment, and prior to surgery. Quantitative ultrasound parameters and scatterer-based features were calculated from ultrasound radio frequency (RF data within tumor regions of interest. Additionally, texture features were extracted from QUS parametric maps. Prior to therapy, all patients underwent a core needle biopsy and histological subtypes and biomarker ER, PR, and HER2 status were determined. Patients were classified into three treatment response groups based on combination of clinical and pathological analyses: complete responders (CR, partial responders (PR, and non-responders (NR. Response classifications from QUS parameters, receptors status and pathological were compared. Discriminant analysis was performed on extracted parameters using a support vector machine classifier to categorize subjects into CR, PR, and NR groups at all scan times.Of the 96 patients, the number of CR, PR and NR patients were 21, 52, and 23, respectively. The best prediction of treatment response was achieved with the combination mean QUS values, texture and molecular features with accuracies of 78%, 86% and 83% at weeks 1, 4, and 8, after treatment respectively. Mean QUS parameters or clinical receptors status alone predicted the

  1. Dichotomous versus semi-quantitative scoring of ultrasound joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis using novel individualized joint selection methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, York Kiat; Allen, John C; Lye, Weng Kit; Conaghan, Philip G; Chew, Li-Ching; Thumboo, Julian

    2017-05-01

    The aim of the study is to compare the responsiveness of two joint inflammation scoring systems (dichotomous scoring (DS) versus semi-quantitative scoring (SQS)) using novel individualized ultrasound joint selection methods and existing ultrasound joint selection methods. Responsiveness measured by the standardized response means (SRMs) using the DS and the SQS system (for both the novel and existing ultrasound joint selection methods) was derived using the baseline and the 3-month total inflammatory scores from 20 rheumatoid arthritis patients. The relative SRM gain ratios (SRM-Gains) for both scoring system (DS and SQS) comparing the novel to the existing methods were computed. Both scoring systems (DS and SQS) demonstrated substantial SRM-Gains (ranged from 3.31 to 5.67 for the DS system and ranged from 1.82 to 3.26 for the SQS system). The SRMs using the novel methods ranged from 0.94 to 1.36 for the DS system and ranged from 0.89 to 1.11 for the SQS system. The SRMs using the existing methods ranged from 0.24 to 0.32 for the DS system and ranged from 0.34 to 0.49 for the SQS system. The DS system appears to achieve high responsiveness comparable to SQS for the novel individualized ultrasound joint selection methods.

  2. Axial compressive strength of human vertebrae trabecular bones classified as normal, osteopenic and osteoporotic by quantitative ultrasonometry of calcaneus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reinaldo Cesar

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Biomechanical assessment of trabecular bone microarchitecture contributes to the evaluation of fractures risk associated with osteoporosis and plays a crucial role in planning preventive strategies. One of the most widely clinical technics used for osteoporosis diagnosis by health professionals is bone dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA. However, doubts about its accuracy motivate the introduction of congruent technical analysis such as calcaneal ultrasonometry (Quantitative Ultrasonometry - QUS. Methods Correlations between Bone Quality Index (BQI, determined by calcaneal ultrasonometry of thirty (30 individuals classified as normal, osteopenic and osteoporotic, and elastic modulus (E and ultimate compressive strength (UCS from axial compression tests of ninety (90 proof bodies from human vertebrae trabecular bone, which were extracted from cadavers in the twelfth thoracic region (T12, first and fourth lumbar (L1 and L4. Results Analysis of variance (ANOVA showed significant differences for E (p = 0.001, for UCS (p = 0.0001 and BQI. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (rho between BQI and E (r = 0.499 and BQI and UCS (r = 0.508 were moderate. Discussion Calcaneal ultrasonometry technique allowed a moderate estimate of bone mechanical strength and fracture risk associated with osteoporosis in human vertebrae.

  3. Interrater reliability of quantitative ultrasound using force feedback among examiners with varied levels of experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael O. Harris-Love

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Background. Quantitative ultrasound measures are influenced by multiple external factors including examiner scanning force. Force feedback may foster the acquisition of reliable morphometry measures under a variety of scanning conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of force-feedback image acquisition and morphometry over a range of examiner-generated forces using a muscle tissue-mimicking ultrasound phantom. Methods. Sixty material thickness measures were acquired from a muscle tissue mimicking phantom using B-mode ultrasound scanning by six examiners with varied experience levels (i.e., experienced, intermediate, and novice. Estimates of interrater reliability and measurement error with force feedback scanning were determined for the examiners. In addition, criterion-based reliability was determined using material deformation values across a range of examiner scanning forces (1–10 Newtons via automated and manually acquired image capture methods using force feedback. Results. All examiners demonstrated acceptable interrater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC = .98, p .90, p < .001, independent of their level of experience. The measurement error among all examiners was 1.5%–2.9% across all applied stress conditions. Conclusion. Manual image capture with force feedback may aid the reliability of morphometry measures across a range of examiner scanning forces, and allow for consistent performance among examiners with differing levels of experience.

  4. A Novel Minimally Invasive Reduction Technique by Balloon and Distractor for Intra-Articular Calcaneal Fractures: A Report of 2 Cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Prod’homme

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Treatment of displaced intra-articular fractures of the calcaneus remains a challenge for the orthopaedic surgeon. Conservative therapy is known to produce functional impairment. Surgical approach is plagued by soft-tissue complications and insufficient fracture reduction. We describe a minimally invasive technique that will hopefully improve these issues. We want to present our first experience through two cases. The first was a 46-year-old man who presented with a Sanders type IIBC calcaneal fracture, and the second was a 86-year-old woman with a type IIIBC calcaneal fracture. We introduced 2 Schanz screws in the talus and the calcaneus. After distraction, we introduced an inflatable balloon inside the calcaneus. By inflating the balloon, the articular surface was reduced by lifting it up. Then bone cement was injected in order to maintain the reduction. Additional screw fixation was used in the young patient. Postoperative imaging showed good congruence of the subtalar joint without leakage of cement, for the two cases. After 2 months, the patients had no pain and were without soft-tissue complications. We advocate this technique to perform a minimally invasive reduction and fixation of intra-articular calcaneal fractures because it preserves soft-tissues and provides good clinical results with early weight-bearing.

  5. Ultrasound arthroscopy of human knee cartilage and subchondral bone in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liukkonen, Jukka; Lehenkari, Petri; Hirvasniemi, Jukka; Joukainen, Antti; Virén, Tuomas; Saarakkala, Simo; Nieminen, Miika T; Jurvelin, Jukka S; Töyräs, Juha

    2014-09-01

    Arthroscopic ultrasound imaging enables quantitative evaluation of articular cartilage. However, the potential of this technique for evaluation of subchondral bone has not been investigated in vivo. In this study, we address this issue in clinical arthroscopy of the human knee (n = 11) by determining quantitative ultrasound (9 MHz) reflection and backscattering parameters for cartilage and subchondral bone. Furthermore, in each knee, seven anatomical sites were graded using the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) system based on (i) conventional arthroscopy and (ii) ultrasound images acquired in arthroscopy with a miniature transducer. Ultrasound enabled visualization of articular cartilage and subchondral bone. ICRS grades based on ultrasound images were higher (p ultrasound-based ICRS grades were expected as ultrasound reveals additional information on, for example, the relative depth of the lesion. In line with previous literature, ultrasound reflection and scattering in cartilage varied significantly (p ultrasound parameters and structure or density of subchondral bone could be demonstrated. To conclude, arthroscopic ultrasound imaging had a significant effect on clinical grading of cartilage, and it was found to provide quantitative information on cartilage. The lack of correlation between the ultrasound parameters and bone properties may be related to lesser bone change or excessive attenuation in overlying cartilage and insufficient power of the applied miniature transducer. Copyright © 2014 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. A priori Prediction of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response and Survival in Breast Cancer Patients using Quantitative Ultrasound.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tadayyon, Hadi; Sannachi, Lakshmanan; Gangeh, Mehrdad J; Kim, Christina; Ghandi, Sonal; Trudeau, Maureen; Pritchard, Kathleen; Tran, William T; Slodkowska, Elzbieta; Sadeghi-Naini, Ali; Czarnota, Gregory J

    2017-04-12

    Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) can probe tissue structure and analyze tumour characteristics. Using a 6-MHz ultrasound system, radiofrequency data were acquired from 56 locally advanced breast cancer patients prior to their neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and QUS texture features were computed from regions of interest in tumour cores and their margins as potential predictive and prognostic indicators. Breast tumour molecular features were also collected and used for analysis. A multiparametric QUS model was constructed, which demonstrated a response prediction accuracy of 88% and ability to predict patient 5-year survival rates (p = 0.01). QUS features demonstrated superior performance in comparison to molecular markers and the combination of QUS and molecular markers did not improve response prediction. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that non-invasive QUS features in the core and margin of breast tumours can indicate breast cancer response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and predict five-year recurrence-free survival.

  7. Determination of Pathogens in Postoperative Wound Infection After Surgically Reduced Calcaneal Fractures and Implications for Prophylaxis and Treatment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Backes, Manouk; Spijkerman, Ingrid J.; de Muinck-Keizer, Robert-Jan O.; Goslings, J. Carel; Schepers, Tim

    2018-01-01

    High rates of postoperative wound infection (POWI) have been reported after surgery for calcaneal fractures. This is a retrospective cohort study to determine the causative pathogens of these infections and subsequent treatment strategies. In addition, microbacterial growth from superficial wound

  8. High correlation between quantitative ultrasound and DXA during 7 years of follow-up

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trimpou, Penelope [Section for Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-41345 Goeteborg (Sweden)], E-mail: pinelopi.trimpou@vgregion.se; Bosaeus, Ingvar [Department for Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Goeteborg (Sweden)], E-mail: ingvar.bosaeus@nutrition.gu.se; Bengtsson, Bengt-Ake [Section for Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-41345 Goeteborg (Sweden)], E-mail: bengt-ake.bengtsson@medic.gu.se; Landin-Wilhelmsen, Kerstin [Section for Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-41345 Goeteborg (Sweden)], E-mail: kerstin.landin@sahlgrenska.se

    2010-02-15

    Ultrasound is a quick, cheap and non-radiating device for assessing bone quality. We wanted to validate the method for clinical and epidemiological use. Eighty women, aged 53-73 years, with osteoporosis and/or fractures were followed repeatedly during 7 years. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) measurements (LUNAR Achilles) were compared with bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) estimated by DXA (LUNAR) in regions of interest. Changes in the speed of sound, broadband ultrasound attenuation and stiffness were positively correlated with changes in BMD and BMC in all regions measured with DXA (r = 0.20-0.53; p = 0.09 to <0.0001). The QUS t-score at the left heel was positively correlated with the t-score at the right heel (r = 0.90, p < 0.0001). The DXA t-score of the left vs. the right femur was also positively correlated (r = 0.72-0.86; p < 0.0001). A t-score < -2.5 S.D. was found in 70% and 56% at baseline, and 74% and 65% at follow-up measured with QUS and DXA, respectively. The mean sensitivity of QUS vs. DXA was 79% and the mean specificity 45% over a 7-year period. A QUS t-score of <-3.65 S.D. was consistent with a DXA t-score of <-2.5 S.D. In conclusion, QUS was well correlated with DXA in all regions over the 7-year period. QUS can be used in settings without access to DXA and in epidemiological studies. The sensitivity was high but the specificity was low, implicating that DXA, if available, is recommended before treatment for osteoporosis. However, treatment can be started without DXA at a QUS t-score < -3.65 S.D., and especially in the presence of fractures.

  9. Plantar calcaneal enthesophytes: new observations regarding sites of origin based on radiographic, MR imaging, anatomic, and paleopathologic analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abreu, M.R.; Chung, C.B.; Mendes, L.; Mohana-Borges, A.; Trudell, D.; Resnick, D.

    2003-01-01

    To determine the relationship between sites of calcaneal plantar enthesophytes and surrounding fascial and soft tissue structures using routine radiography, MR imaging, and data derived from cadaveric and paleopathologic specimens.Design and patients. Two observers analyzed the MR imaging studies of 40 ankles in 38 patients (35 males, 3 females; mean age 48.3 years) with plantar calcaneal enthesophytes that were selected from all the ankle MR examinations performed during the past year. Data derived from these MR examinations were the following: the size of the enthesophyte; its location in relation to the plantar fascia (PF) and flexor muscles; and the thickness and signal of the PF. The corresponding radiographs of the ankles were evaluated at a different time by the same observers for the presence or absence of plantar enthesophytes and, when present, their measurements. A third observer reviewed all the discordant observations of MR imaging and radiographic examinations. Two observers analyzed 22 calcaneal specimens with plantar enthesophytes at an anthropology museum to determine the orientation of each plantar enthesophyte. MR imaging of a cadaveric foot with a plantar enthesophyte with subsequent sagittal sectioning was performed to provide further anatomic understanding.Results. With regard to MR imaging, the mean size of the plantar enthesophytes was 4.41 mm (SD 2.4). Twenty (50%) enthesophytes were located above the PF, 16 (40%) between the fascia and abductor digiti minimi, flexor digitorum brevis and abductor hallucis muscles, and only one (3%) was located within the PF. In three (8%) cases the location was not determined. The size of enthesophytes seen with MR imaging and radiographs was highly correlated (P 0.8, kappa >0.9). Eleven of the 22 bone specimens had plantar enthesophytes oriented in the direction of the abductor digiti minimi and 11 oriented in the direction of the flexor digitorum brevis and PF. The cadaveric sections revealed different

  10. Plantar calcaneal enthesophytes: new observations regarding sites of origin based on radiographic, MR imaging, anatomic, and paleopathologic analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abreu, M.R.; Chung, C.B.; Mendes, L.; Mohana-Borges, A.; Trudell, D.; Resnick, D. [Department of Radiology, Musculoskeletal Section, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92161 (United States)

    2003-01-01

    To determine the relationship between sites of calcaneal plantar enthesophytes and surrounding fascial and soft tissue structures using routine radiography, MR imaging, and data derived from cadaveric and paleopathologic specimens.Design and patients. Two observers analyzed the MR imaging studies of 40 ankles in 38 patients (35 males, 3 females; mean age 48.3 years) with plantar calcaneal enthesophytes that were selected from all the ankle MR examinations performed during the past year. Data derived from these MR examinations were the following: the size of the enthesophyte; its location in relation to the plantar fascia (PF) and flexor muscles; and the thickness and signal of the PF. The corresponding radiographs of the ankles were evaluated at a different time by the same observers for the presence or absence of plantar enthesophytes and, when present, their measurements. A third observer reviewed all the discordant observations of MR imaging and radiographic examinations. Two observers analyzed 22 calcaneal specimens with plantar enthesophytes at an anthropology museum to determine the orientation of each plantar enthesophyte. MR imaging of a cadaveric foot with a plantar enthesophyte with subsequent sagittal sectioning was performed to provide further anatomic understanding.Results. With regard to MR imaging, the mean size of the plantar enthesophytes was 4.41 mm (SD 2.4). Twenty (50%) enthesophytes were located above the PF, 16 (40%) between the fascia and abductor digiti minimi, flexor digitorum brevis and abductor hallucis muscles, and only one (3%) was located within the PF. In three (8%) cases the location was not determined. The size of enthesophytes seen with MR imaging and radiographs was highly correlated (P<0.01). The interobserver agreement for all measurements was good (Pearson >0.8, kappa >0.9). Eleven of the 22 bone specimens had plantar enthesophytes oriented in the direction of the abductor digiti minimi and 11 oriented in the direction of the

  11. Quantitative evaluation of the structure and function of the common carotid artery in hypertriglyceridemic subjects using ultrasound radiofrequency-data technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dan, Hai-Jun; Wang, Yan; Sha, Hai-Jing; Wen, Shu-Bin

    2012-01-01

    Assessment of the properties of blood-vessel walls by ultrasound radiofrequency (RF)-data technology is an innovative technique. We quantitatively evaluated the intima-media thickness (IMT) and arterial elasticity of the common carotid artery (CCA) in asymptomatic subjects with hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) using RF-data technology. Thirty HTG subjects and 30 matched controls were enrolled in the study. The common carotid arterial systolic diameter, diastolic diameter, IMT, carotid distensibility (CD), local pulse wave velocity (PWVβ), and stiffness (β) were compared between the two groups, as was the correlation between triglyceride level and the parameters mentioned above. The HTG group had significantly higher values of CCA-IMT compared with the control group (p 0.05). The level of triglycerides had significant positive correlations with CCA-IMT (r = 0.493, p < 0.001), whereas significant correlations with CD, PWVβ, and β were not observed in the HTG group. Ultrasound RF-data technology can be used to non-invasively and quantitatively detect the change in the structure and function of the CCA in asymptomatic HTG subjects for evaluating preclinical atherosclerosis.

  12. The influence of foot geometry on the calcaneal osteotomy angle based on two-dimensional static force analyses

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Reilingh, M.L.; Tuijthof, G.J.M.; Van Dijk, C.N.; Blankevoort, L.

    2011-01-01

    Background: Malalignment of the hindfoot can be corrected with a calcaneal osteotomy (CO). A well-selected osteotomy angle in the sagittal plane will reduce the shear force in the osteotomy plane while walking. The purpose was to determine the presence of a relationship between the foot geometry and

  13. The influence of foot geometry on the calcaneal osteotomy angle based on two-dimensional static force analyses

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Reilingh, M. L.; Tuijthof, G. J. M.; van Dijk, C. N.; Blankevoort, L.

    2011-01-01

    Malalignment of the hindfoot can be corrected with a calcaneal osteotomy (CO). A well-selected osteotomy angle in the sagittal plane will reduce the shear force in the osteotomy plane while walking. The purpose was to determine the presence of a relationship between the foot geometry and loading of

  14. Quantitative Assessment of Variational Surface Reconstruction from Sparse Point Clouds in Freehand 3D Ultrasound Imaging during Image-Guided Tumor Ablation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuangcheng Deng

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Surface reconstruction for freehand 3D ultrasound is used to provide 3D visualization of a VOI (volume of interest during image-guided tumor ablation surgery. This is a challenge because the recorded 2D B-scans are not only sparse but also non-parallel. To solve this issue, we established a framework to reconstruct the surface of freehand 3D ultrasound imaging in 2011. The key technique for surface reconstruction in that framework is based on variational interpolation presented by Greg Turk for shape transformation and is named Variational Surface Reconstruction (VSR. The main goal of this paper is to evaluate the quality of surface reconstructions, especially when the input data are extremely sparse point clouds from freehand 3D ultrasound imaging, using four methods: Ball Pivoting, Power Crust, Poisson, and VSR. Four experiments are conducted, and quantitative metrics, such as the Hausdorff distance, are introduced for quantitative assessment. The experiment results show that the performance of the proposed VSR method is the best of the four methods at reconstructing surface from sparse data. The VSR method can produce a close approximation to the original surface from as few as two contours, whereas the other three methods fail to do so. The experiment results also illustrate that the reproducibility of the VSR method is the best of the four methods.

  15. Lateral luxation of the superficial digital flexor tendon from the calcaneal tuber in two horses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meagher, D.M.; Aldrete, A.V.

    1989-01-01

    Lateral luxation of the superficial digital flexor tendon from the calcaneal tuber occurs in horses as a result of tearing or rupture of the medial retinaculum of the tendon. This report describes the repair of this condition in 2 Thoroughbred race horses, using a surgical technique in which 2 cancellous bone screws were placed in the calcaneus lateral to the tendon, along with suturing the medial retinaculum

  16. Quantitative evaluation of hidden defects in cast iron components using ultrasound activated lock-in vibrothermography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montanini, R; Freni, F; Rossi, G L

    2012-09-01

    This paper reports one of the first experimental results on the application of ultrasound activated lock-in vibrothermography for quantitative assessment of buried flaws in complex cast parts. The use of amplitude modulated ultrasonic heat generation allowed selective response of defective areas within the part, as the defect itself is turned into a local thermal wave emitter. Quantitative evaluation of hidden damages was accomplished by estimating independently both the area and the depth extension of the buried flaws, while x-ray 3D computed tomography was used as reference for sizing accuracy assessment. To retrieve flaw's area, a simple yet effective histogram-based phase image segmentation algorithm with automatic pixels classification has been developed. A clear correlation was found between the thermal (phase) signature measured by the infrared camera on the target surface and the actual mean cross-section area of the flaw. Due to the very fast cycle time (<30 s/part), the method could potentially be applied for 100% quality control of casting components.

  17. Ligamentotaxis for complex calcaneal fractures using Joshi′s external stabilization system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Singh Ajai

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Controversies exist in the literature regarding the management of complex fractures of the calcaneum. We evaluated a series of complex fractures of the calcaneum managed by ligamentotaxis using Joshi′s external stabilization system (JESS for its efficacy. Materials and Methods: Forty-five patients having complex (comminuted, intra-articular fracture with compromised soft tissue condition fractures of the calcaneum, who were treated by external fixator (JESS based on the principle of ligamentotaxis. The gradual distraction was done to bring the articular margins together to maintain both alpha and beta angles to near normal range. Thirteen (28.9% patients underwent additional corticocancellous bone grafting with elevation of posterior facet. All patients were evaluated for their functional outcomes by American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle society (AOFAS Score for the ankle and hind foot. Mean duration of follow-up was 20.5 months. Results: Forty-two (93.4% of our patients did well with the ligamentotaxis. On evaluating final outcomes by AOFAS, approximately 71% of cases showed good results. Eleven patients (24.4% complained of persistent heel pain in the long-term follow-up. Out of these, eight (17.8% patients were those who had severe comminution with almost total loss of calcaneal height. The origin of heel pain was not the subtalar joint in all of these patients. On long-term follow-up none of these patients suffered from such severe pain so as to compel them to change the nature of their activity. Conclusion: We conclude that ligamentotaxis by JESS provides a viable and user-friendly alternative method of management of these complex calcaneal fractures.

  18. Spectrophotometer and ultrasound evaluation of late toxicity following breast-cancer radiotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshida, E J; Chen, H; Torres, M A; Curran, W J; Liu, T

    2011-10-01

    Radiation-induced normal-tissue toxicities are common, complex, and distressing side effects that affect 90% of patients receiving breast-cancer radiotherapy and 40% of patients post radiotherapy. In this study, the authors investigated the use of spectrophotometry and ultrasound to quantitatively measure radiation-induced skin discoloration and subcutaneous-tissue fibrosis. The study's purpose is to determine whether skin discoloration correlates with the development of fibrosis in breast-cancer radiotherapy. Eighteen breast-cancer patients were enrolled in our initial study. All patients were previously treated with a standard course of radiation, and the median follow-up time was 22 months. The treated and untreated breasts were scanned with a spectrophotometer and an ultrasound. Two spectrophotometer parameters-melanin and erythema indices-were used to quantitatively assess skin discoloration. Two ultrasound parameters-skin thickness and Pearson coefficient of the hypodermis-were used to quantitatively assess severity of fibrosis. These measurements were correlated with clinical assessments (RTOG late morbidity scores). Significant measurement differences between the treated and contralateral breasts were observed among all patients: 27.3% mean increase in skin thickness (p spectrophotometer parameters do not correlate with ultrasound parameters. Spectrophotometry and quantitative ultrasound are objective tools that assess radiation-induced tissue injury. Spectrophotometer parameters did not correlate with those of quantitative ultrasound suggesting that skin discoloration cannot be used as a marker for subcutaneous fibrosis. These tools may prove useful for the reduction of radiation morbidities and improvement of patient quality of life.

  19. Quantitative measurement of total cerebral blood flow using 2D phase-contrast MRI and doppler ultrasound

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seo, Keum Soo; Choi, Sun Seob; Lee, Young Il [Dong-A Univ., College of Medicine, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

    2001-12-01

    To compare of quantitative measurement of the total cerebral blood flow using two-dimensional phase-contrast MR imaging and Doppler ultrasound. In 16 volunteers (mean age, 26 years; mean body weight, 66 kg) without abnormal medical histories, two-dimensional phase-contrast MR imaging was performed at the level of the C2-3 inter vertebral disc for flow measurement of the internal carotid arteries and the vertebral arteries. Volume flow measurements using Doppler ultrasound were also performed at the internal carotid arteries 2cm above the carotid bifurcation, and at the vertebral arteries at the level of the upper pole of the thyroid gland. Flows in the four vessels measured by the two methods were compared using Wilcoxon's correlation analysis and the median score. Total cerebral blood flows were calculated by summing these four vessel flows, and mean values for the 16 volunteers were calculated. Cerebral blood flows measured by 2-D phase-contrast MR imaging and Doppler ultrasounds were 233 and 239 ml/min in the right internal carotid artery, 250 and 248 ml/min in the left internal carotid artery, 62 and 56 ml/min in the right vertebral artery, and 83 and 68 ml/min in the left vertebral artery. Correlation coefficients of the blood flows determined by the two methods were 0.48, 0.54, 0.49, and 0.62 in each vessel, while total cerebral blood flows were 628{+-}68 (range, 517 to 779) ml/min and 612{+-}79 (range, 482 to 804)ml/min, respectively. Total cerebral blood flow was easily measured using 2-D phase-contrast MR imaging and Doppler ultrasound, and the two noninvasive methods can therefore be used clinically for the measurement of total cerebral blood flow.

  20. Comparison of the femoral neck bone density, quantitative ultrasound and bone density of the heel between dominant and non-dominant side

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meszaros, Szilvia [First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Koranyi Sandor Str. 2/a, Budapest H-1083 (Hungary); Ferencz, Viktoria [First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Koranyi Sandor Str. 2/a, Budapest H-1083 (Hungary); Csupor, Emoke [Health Service, Budavar Local Authorities, Budapest (Hungary); Mester, Adam [Department of Radiology and Oncotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest (Hungary); Hosszu, Eva [Second Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest (Hungary); Toth, Edit [Department of Reumatology, Ferenc Flor County Hospital, Kerepestarcsa (Hungary); Horvath, Csaba [First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Koranyi Sandor Str. 2/a, Budapest H-1083 (Hungary)]. E-mail: horcsa@bel1.sote.hu

    2006-11-15

    Our study was initiated to evaluate whether there are differences between the two sides, depending on hand dominance, in densitometry values and quantitative ultrasound parameters (QUS) of the lower limb. One hundred and six women and 44 men were involved. The hand dominance was determined by interview. The bone mineral density (BMD) of the left and the right femoral necks and the calcanei were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorpiometry (DXA). The QUS examination consisted of measuring the attenuation (BUA), the speed of the ultrasound (SOS) and quantitative ultrasound index (QUI) transversing the left and right calcanei. The density of the neck of femur of the non-dominant side did not differ from that of the dominant side. On the other hand, BMD, BUA and the QUI of the calcaneus were higher on the non-dominant side in both genders (p < 0.05 for each parameter). No similar differences were seen for the SOS values. Our study has confirmed the side-to-side differences of the calcaneus in both genders, lower values were found on the dominant side. No similar differences were seen on the femur. The AUC values seemed to be higher on the dominant side, however, these differences were not strictly significant. In the case of peripheral site (heel) measurements, the practical significance of our observations is that they raise the possibility of performing peripheral DXA and QUS examinations of the calcaneus on the dominant side of the patient according to handedness.

  1. What are the characteristics of breast cancers misclassified as benign by quantitative ultrasound shear wave elastography?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinnicombe, S J; Whelehan, P; Thomson, K; McLean, D; Purdie, C A; Jordan, L B; Hubbard, S; Evans, A J

    2014-04-01

    Shear wave elastography (SWE) is a promising adjunct to greyscale ultrasound in differentiating benign from malignant breast masses. The purpose of this study was to characterise breast cancers which are not stiff on quantitative SWE, to elucidate potential sources of error in clinical application of SWE to evaluation of breast masses. Three hundred and two consecutive patients examined by SWE who underwent immediate surgery for breast cancer were included. Characteristics of 280 lesions with suspicious SWE values (mean stiffness >50 kPa) were compared with 22 lesions with benign SWE values (masses were more often soft on SWE than masses representing invasive breast cancer. Invasive cancers that were soft were more frequently: histological grade 1, tubular subtype, ≤10 mm invasive size and detected at screening mammography. No significant differences were found with respect to the presence of invasive lobular cancer, vascular invasion, hormone and HER-2 receptor status. Lymph node positivity was less common in soft cancers. Malignant breast masses classified as benign by quantitative SWE tend to have better prognostic features than those correctly classified as malignant. • Over 90 % of cancers assessable with ultrasound have a mean stiffness >50 kPa. • 'Soft' invasive cancers are frequently small (≤10 mm), low grade and screen-detected. • Pure DCIS masses are more often soft than invasive cancers (>40 %). • Large symptomatic masses are better evaluated with SWE than small clinically occult lesions. • When assessing small lesions, 'softness' should not raise the threshold for biopsy.

  2. Quantitative mineral salt evaluation in the calcaneous bone using computed tomography, 125I-photon absorption and chemical analysis to compare the value of the individual methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hitzler, H.J.

    1983-01-01

    It was the aim of the study described here to verify the accuracy of two different methods for the quantitative evaluation of mineral salts, which were the 125I-photon absorption technique on the one hand and wholebody CT on the other hand. For this purpose, post-mortem examinations of 31 calcaneous bones were carried out to evaluate their individual mineral salt contents in vitro using either of the above-mentioned methods. The results obtained were subsequently contrasted with calcium concentrations determined by chemical analysis. A comparison of the individual mineral salt evaluations with the results from calcium analyses pointed to a highly significant correlation (p=0.001) for both methods under investigation. The same held for the correlation of findings from CT and the 125I-hydroxylapatite technique, where the level of significance was also p=0.001. The above statements must, however, be modified in as much as the mineral salt values measured by CT were consistently lower than those obtained on the basis of 125I-photon absorption. These deviations are chiefly attributable to the fact that the values provided by CT are more susceptible to influences from the fat contained in the bones. In 125I-photon absorption a special formula may be derived to allow for the bias occurring here, provided that the composition of the bone is known. To summarise, the relative advantages and drawbacks of CT and 125I-photon absorption are carefully balanced. Mineral salt evaluations by CT permit incipient losses to be ascertained even in the trunk. The 125I-photon absorption technique would appear to be the obvious method for any kind of follow-up examination in the peripheral skeleton, as it is easily reproducible and radiation exposure can be kept to minimum. (TRV) [de

  3. Partial calcanectomy and Ilizarov external fixation may reduce amputation need in severe diabetic calcaneal ulcers

    OpenAIRE

    Akkurt, Mehmet Or?un; Demirkale, Ismail; ?znur, Ali

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Objective: The treatment of diabetic hindfoot ulcers is a challenging problem. In addition to serial surgical debridements, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and local wound care play important roles in the surgeon?s armamentarium, for both superficial infection and gangrene of the soft tissue, often complicated by osteomyelitis of the calcaneus. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of an aggressive approach from diagnosis to treatment of calcaneal osteomyelitis in foot-thre...

  4. Quantitative evaluation of contrast-enhanced ultrasound after intravenous administration of a microbubble contrast agent for differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules: assessment of diagnostic accuracy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nemec, Ursula; Nemec, Stefan F; Novotny, Clemens; Weber, Michael; Czerny, Christian; Krestan, Christian R

    2012-06-01

    To investigate the diagnostic accuracy, through quantitative analysis, of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), using a microbubble contrast agent, in the differentiation of thyroid nodules. This prospective study enrolled 46 patients with solitary, scintigraphically non-functional thyroid nodules. These patients were scheduled for surgery and underwent preoperative CEUS with pulse-inversion harmonic imaging after intravenous microbubble contrast medium administration. Using histology as a standard of reference, time-intensity curves of benign and malignant nodules were compared by means of peak enhancement and wash-out enhancement relative to the baseline intensity using a mixed model ANOVA. ROC analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic accuracy in the differentiation of benign and malignant nodules on CEUS. The complete CEUS data of 42 patients (31/42 [73.8%] benign and 11/42 [26.2%] malignant nodules) revealed a significant difference (P benign and malignant nodules. Furthermore, based on ROC analysis, CEUS demonstrated sensitivity of 76.9%, specificity of 84.8% and accuracy of 82.6%. Quantitative analysis of CEUS using a microbubble contrast agent allows the differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules and may potentially serve, in addition to grey-scale and Doppler ultrasound, as an adjunctive tool in the assessment of patients with thyroid nodules. • Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) helps differentiate between benign and malignant thyroid nodules. • Quantitative CEUS analysis yields sensitivity of 76.9% and specificity of 84.8%. • CEUS may be a potentially useful adjunct in assessing thyroid nodules.

  5. An outcomes assessment of intra-articular calcaneal fractures, using patient and physician's assessment profiles.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Kennedy, J G

    2012-02-03

    Thirty-six patients with intra-articular displaced calcaneal fractures were examined to determine both physician- and patient-based outcomes. Three groups were selected. Group A was treated with open reduction and internal fixation, group B was treated with open reduction internal fixation and supplemental bone graft augmentation and the patients in group C were treated with plaster cast immobilisation and no formal operative treatment. All cohorts were well matched for age, sex and severity of injury. Patients were evaluated using both the American Foot and Ankle Society Scoring System (AFASS) and the short form 36 (SF-36). Minimum time to follow up was 4 years. No significant difference was observed between the three groups with regards to pain and functional outcomes using the AFASS score (P>0.05). No difference was observed between the three groups using the SF-36 score (P>0.1). A statistically significant difference was observed, using radiological criteria, between both groups A and B when compared to the non-operative group C. The rate of wound infection in groups A and B was 31.5%. No correlation was found between the SF-36 score and the AFASS score. No correlation was found between the radiological score and either the SF-36 or the AFASS score. This study has found that the conservative treatment of calcaneal fractures can produce satisfactory outcomes with lower morbidity than surgically treated fractures.

  6. Quantitative correlational study of microbubble-enhanced ultrasound imaging and magnetic resonance imaging of glioma and early response to radiotherapy in a rat model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Chen [Department of Ultrasound, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022 (China); Lee, Dong-Hoon; Zhang, Kai; Li, Wenxiao; Zhou, Jinyuan [Division of MR Research, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287 (United States); Mangraviti, Antonella; Tyler, Betty [Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287 (United States); Su, Lin; Zhang, Yin; Zhang, Bin; Wong, John; Wang, Ken Kang-Hsin; Velarde, Esteban; Ding, Kai, E-mail: kding1@jhmi.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231 (United States)

    2015-08-15

    Purpose: Radiotherapy remains a major treatment method for malignant tumors. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the standard modality for assessing glioma treatment response in the clinic. Compared to MRI, ultrasound imaging is low-cost and portable and can be used during intraoperative procedures. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively compare contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging and MRI of irradiated gliomas in rats and to determine which quantitative ultrasound imaging parameters can be used for the assessment of early response to radiation in glioma. Methods: Thirteen nude rats with U87 glioma were used. A small thinned skull window preparation was performed to facilitate ultrasound imaging and mimic intraoperative procedures. Both CEUS and MRI with structural, functional, and molecular imaging parameters were performed at preradiation and at 1 day and 4 days postradiation. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the correlations between MRI and CEUS parameters and the changes between pre- and postradiation imaging. Results: Area under the curve (AUC) in CEUS showed significant difference between preradiation and 4 days postradiation, along with four MRI parameters, T{sub 2}, apparent diffusion coefficient, cerebral blood flow, and amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) (all p < 0.05). The APTw signal was correlated with three CEUS parameters, rise time (r = − 0.527, p < 0.05), time to peak (r = − 0.501, p < 0.05), and perfusion index (r = 458, p < 0.05). Cerebral blood flow was correlated with rise time (r = − 0.589, p < 0.01) and time to peak (r = − 0.543, p < 0.05). Conclusions: MRI can be used for the assessment of radiotherapy treatment response and CEUS with AUC as a new technique and can also be one of the assessment methods for early response to radiation in glioma.

  7. Higher tibial quantitative ultrasound in young female swimmers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falk, B; Bronshtein, Z; Zigel, L; Constantini, N; Eliakim, A

    2004-08-01

    It has been found that swimming, a non-impact sport, generally has no effect on bone mineral density. To examine bone properties, as measured by quantitative ultrasound, among female swimmers in comparison with control girls and women. Subjects included 61 swimmers and 71 controls aged 8.5 to 26.5 years. None of the swimmers was at the elite level and none had included resistance training in her schedule. Bone speed of sound (SOS) was measured bilaterally at the distal radius and the mid-tibia. No differences were observed between swimmers and controls in body mass (mean (SD): 49.7 (12.3) v 50.7 (12.4) kg, respectively), although swimmers were taller (159 (12) v 155 (12) cm) and had lower body fat (18.3 (4.2)% v 22.3 (5.4)%). No difference was found in time since menarche (5.2 (4.0) and 4.5 (2.9) years in swimmers and controls, respectively; 21 swimmers and 25 control were premenarcheal). Radial speed of sound (SOS) increased with age but did not differ between swimmers and controls (non-dominant: 3904 (172) and 3889 (165) m/s for swimmers and controls, respectively). Tibial SOS also increased with age and was significantly higher in swimmers than in controls (non-dominant: 3774 (155) v 3712 (171) m/s). No differences were found between dominant and non-dominant sides. Swimming appears to be associated with higher bone SOS in the lower but not in the upper extremities. Further studies are needed to assess whether this difference reflects higher habitual activity among the swimmers or swimming specific mechanisms.

  8. Sex hormones and quantitative ultrasound parameters at the heel in men and women from the general population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pätzug, Konrad; Friedrich, Nele; Kische, Hanna; Hannemann, Anke; Völzke, Henry; Nauck, Matthias; Keevil, Brian G; Haring, Robin

    2017-12-01

    The present study investigates potential associations between liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) measured sex hormones, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and bone ultrasound parameters at the heel in men and women from the general population. Data from 502 women and 425 men from the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-TREND) were used. Cross-sectional associations of sex hormones including testosterone (TT), calculated free testosterone (FT), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), androstenedione (ASD), estrone (E1) and SHBG with quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters at the heel, including broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA), speed of sound (SOS) and stiffness index (SI) were examined by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariable quantile regression models. Multivariable regression analysis showed a sex-specific inverse association of DHEAS with SI in men (Beta per SI unit = - 3.08, standard error (SE) = 0.88), but not in women (Beta = - 0.01, SE = 2.09). Furthermore, FT was positively associated with BUA in men (Beta per BUA unit = 29.0, SE = 10.1). None of the other sex hormones (ASD, E1) or SHBG was associated with QUS parameters after multivariable adjustment. This cross-sectional population-based study revealed independent associations of DHEAS and FT with QUS parameters in men, suggesting a potential influence on male bone metabolism. The predictive role of DHEAS and FT as a marker for osteoporosis in men warrants further investigation in clinical trials and large-scale observational studies.

  9. Comparing fixation used for calcaneal displacement osteotomies: a look at removal rates and cost.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lucas, Douglas E; Simpson, G Alex; Philbin, Terrence M

    2015-02-01

    The calcaneal displacement osteotomy is a procedure frequently used by foot and ankle surgeons for hindfoot angular deformity. Traditional techniques use compression screw fixation that can result in prominent hardware. While the results of the procedure are generally good, a common concern is the development of plantar heel pain related to prominent hardware. The primary purpose of this study is to retrospectively compare clinical outcomes of 2 fixation methods for the osteotomy. Secondarily a cost analysis will compare implant costs to hardware removal costs. Records were reviewed for patients who had undergone a calcaneal displacement osteotomy fixated with either lag screw or a locked lateral compression plate (LLCP). Neuropathy, previous ipsilateral calcaneus surgery, heel pad trauma, or incomplete radiographic follow-up were exclusionary. Thirty-two patients (19.4%) required hardware removal from the screw fixation group compared to 1 (1.6%) of the LLCP group, which is significant (P cost was remarkably different with screw fixation costing on average $247.12, compared to the LLCP costing $1175.59. Although the LLCP cost was significantly higher, cost savings were identified when the cost of removal and removal rates were included. This study demonstrates that this device provides adequate stabilization for healing in equivalent time to screw fixation. The LLCP required decreased rates of hardware removal with fewer postoperative visits over a shorter period of time. Significant savings were demonstrated in the LLCP group despite the higher implant cost. Therapeutic, Level III, Retrospective Comparative Study. © 2014 The Author(s).

  10. Ultrasound imaging for quantitative evaluation of magnetic density separation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sanaee, S.A.

    2013-01-01

    This thesis is dedicated to an investigation of the potential and technological possibilities of an inline ultrasound system as a quality control system for wet recycling of solid waste. The main targeted recycling technology is magnetic density separation (MDS), a novel technique that was

  11. Quantitative analysis of fetal facial morphology using 3D ultrasound and statistical shape modeling: a feasibility study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dall'Asta, Andrea; Schievano, Silvia; Bruse, Jan L; Paramasivam, Gowrishankar; Kaihura, Christine Tita; Dunaway, David; Lees, Christoph C

    2017-07-01

    The antenatal detection of facial dysmorphism using 3-dimensional ultrasound may raise the suspicion of an underlying genetic condition but infrequently leads to a definitive antenatal diagnosis. Despite advances in array and noninvasive prenatal testing, not all genetic conditions can be ascertained from such testing. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of quantitative assessment of fetal face features using prenatal 3-dimensional ultrasound volumes and statistical shape modeling. STUDY DESIGN: Thirteen normal and 7 abnormal stored 3-dimensional ultrasound fetal face volumes were analyzed, at a median gestation of 29 +4  weeks (25 +0 to 36 +1 ). The 20 3-dimensional surface meshes generated were aligned and served as input for a statistical shape model, which computed the mean 3-dimensional face shape and 3-dimensional shape variations using principal component analysis. Ten shape modes explained more than 90% of the total shape variability in the population. While the first mode accounted for overall size differences, the second highlighted shape feature changes from an overall proportionate toward a more asymmetric face shape with a wide prominent forehead and an undersized, posteriorly positioned chin. Analysis of the Mahalanobis distance in principal component analysis shape space suggested differences between normal and abnormal fetuses (median and interquartile range distance values, 7.31 ± 5.54 for the normal group vs 13.27 ± 9.82 for the abnormal group) (P = .056). This feasibility study demonstrates that objective characterization and quantification of fetal facial morphology is possible from 3-dimensional ultrasound. This technique has the potential to assist in utero diagnosis, particularly of rare conditions in which facial dysmorphology is a feature. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Treatment of the calcaneal spur with infrared laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Orellana, Alina; Larrea, Pedro; Hernandez, Adel; Combarro, Andres; Corcho, Carlos; Fernandez, Sandra; Morales, Omar; Porrua, Agustin; Perez Ares, Jose

    2009-01-01

    The treatment with low power laser offers a beneficial and regenerating effect over nervous, muscular and skeletal tissues, soft tissues, and skin. This therapy has been used for more than three decades, based on the properties and effects of lasers in almost all medical specialties, due to it constitutes a novel, painless, non invasive, and easy to apply, in addition to the absence of any risk for patient and to have very good clinical results. Knowing the biological effects of the low power laser therapy (analgesic, anti-inflammatory, an tissue regenerator), we were dedicated to investigate the analgesic effect achieved with the application of infrared laser radiation in patients that suffering form calcaneal spur, who attended to the Natural and Traditional Medical Service of the clinic '30 de november', from January 2005 to January 2008. The whole of patients was 62, and the sample included 52 individuals from different sexes, races, and ages between 20 and 80 years, excluding pregnant women and neoplasia patients. Pain relief was achieved since second session of treatment, with 61,5 % of cases cured and 38,5 % improved, no one was worse, neither keep the same initial symptoms. (Author)

  13. Quantitative ultrasound technique at the phalanges in discriminating between uremic and osteoporotic patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guglielmi, G.; De Terlizzi, F.; Aucella, F.; Scillitani, A.

    2006-01-01

    This study was conducted to test the ability of quantitative ultrasound technique (QUS) at the phalanges to discriminate between uremic and osteoporotic patients. Three groups of subjects (38 dialytic women, 16 osteoporotic women with vertebral fractures, 19 non-dialytic and non-fractured women) were recruited at the Department of Radiology at 'Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza' Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. The groups were matched for age and body mass index (BMI). On all subjects the following measurements were performed: spinal BMD by QCT and by DXA, Femoral BMD by DXA, phalangeal QUS. For QUS measurements, the DBM Sonic (IGEA, Carpi, Italy) was applied to the metaphysis of the proximal phalanges of the last four fingers of the hand. Osteoporotic women with vertebral fractures showed significantly lower values of spinal BMD by QCT and DXA and Ward's Triangle BMD with respect to hemodialytic patients (p < 0.005). All QUS values, except for BTT and SoS, showed lower values in osteoporotic women with respect to hemodialytic patients (p < 0.05). Control group showed higher values of AD-SoS, BTT and SoS than hemodialytic patients (p < 0.005) while the two groups did not differ for BMD values measured with both QCT and DXA. UBPI and FWA data showed a similar behaviour to DXA and QCT results, whereas BTT and SoS showed a completely different behaviour. AD-SoS was the only parameter that could effectively discriminate among the three groups (ANOVA, p < 0.0001). We conclude that phalangeal QUS can discriminate between hemodialysed patients and controls with similar bone mineral density, and can also discriminate between hemodialysed and osteoporotic subjects with vertebral fractures. Different characteristics of ultrasound signal can be ascribed to each bone tissue condition, enabling a clear differentiation of bone tissue changes occurring in menopause, osteoporosis and renal osteodystrophy

  14. Quantitative ultrasound technique at the phalanges in discriminating between uremic and osteoporotic patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guglielmi, G. [Department of Radiology, Scientific Institute Hospital ' Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza' , Viale Cappuccini 1, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo (Italy)]. E-mail: guglielmi_g@hotmail.com; De Terlizzi, F. [IGEA srl, Carpi (Italy); Aucella, F. [Division of Nephrology, Scientific Institute Hospital ' Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza' , San Giovanni Rotondo (Italy); Scillitani, A. [Division of Endocrinology, Scientific Institute Hospital ' Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza' , San Giovanni Rotondo (Italy)

    2006-10-15

    This study was conducted to test the ability of quantitative ultrasound technique (QUS) at the phalanges to discriminate between uremic and osteoporotic patients. Three groups of subjects (38 dialytic women, 16 osteoporotic women with vertebral fractures, 19 non-dialytic and non-fractured women) were recruited at the Department of Radiology at 'Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza' Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. The groups were matched for age and body mass index (BMI). On all subjects the following measurements were performed: spinal BMD by QCT and by DXA, Femoral BMD by DXA, phalangeal QUS. For QUS measurements, the DBM Sonic (IGEA, Carpi, Italy) was applied to the metaphysis of the proximal phalanges of the last four fingers of the hand. Osteoporotic women with vertebral fractures showed significantly lower values of spinal BMD by QCT and DXA and Ward's Triangle BMD with respect to hemodialytic patients (p < 0.005). All QUS values, except for BTT and SoS, showed lower values in osteoporotic women with respect to hemodialytic patients (p < 0.05). Control group showed higher values of AD-SoS, BTT and SoS than hemodialytic patients (p < 0.005) while the two groups did not differ for BMD values measured with both QCT and DXA. UBPI and FWA data showed a similar behaviour to DXA and QCT results, whereas BTT and SoS showed a completely different behaviour. AD-SoS was the only parameter that could effectively discriminate among the three groups (ANOVA, p < 0.0001). We conclude that phalangeal QUS can discriminate between hemodialysed patients and controls with similar bone mineral density, and can also discriminate between hemodialysed and osteoporotic subjects with vertebral fractures. Different characteristics of ultrasound signal can be ascribed to each bone tissue condition, enabling a clear differentiation of bone tissue changes occurring in menopause, osteoporosis and renal osteodystrophy.

  15. Quantitative ultrasound assessment of breast tumor response to chemotherapy using a multi-parameter approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tadayyon, Hadi; Sannachi, Lakshmanan; Gangeh, Mehrdad; Sadeghi-Naini, Ali; Tran, William; Trudeau, Maureen E; Pritchard, Kathleen; Ghandi, Sonal; Verma, Sunil; Czarnota, Gregory J

    2016-07-19

    This study demonstrated the ability of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters in providing an early prediction of tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). Using a 6-MHz array transducer, ultrasound radiofrequency (RF) data were collected from 58 LABC patients prior to NAC treatment and at weeks 1, 4, and 8 of their treatment, and prior to surgery. QUS parameters including midband fit (MBF), spectral slope (SS), spectral intercept (SI), spacing among scatterers (SAS), attenuation coefficient estimate (ACE), average scatterer diameter (ASD), and average acoustic concentration (AAC) were determined from the tumor region of interest. Ultrasound data were compared with the ultimate clinical and pathological response of the patient's tumor to treatment and patient recurrence-free survival. Multi-parameter discriminant analysis using the κ-nearest-neighbor classifier demonstrated that the best response classification could be achieved using the combination of MBF, SS, and SAS, with an accuracy of 60 ± 10% at week 1, 77 ± 8% at week 4 and 75 ± 6% at week 8. Furthermore, when the QUS measurements at each time (week) were combined with pre-treatment (week 0) QUS values, the classification accuracies improved (70 ± 9% at week 1, 80 ± 5% at week 4, and 81 ± 6% at week 8). Finally, the multi-parameter QUS model demonstrated a significant difference in survival rates of responding and non-responding patients at weeks 1 and 4 (p=0.035, and 0.027, respectively). This study demonstrated for the first time, using new parameters tested on relatively large patient cohort and leave-one-out classifier evaluation, that a hybrid QUS biomarker including MBF, SS, and SAS could, with relatively high sensitivity and specificity, detect the response of LABC tumors to NAC as early as after 4 weeks of therapy. The findings of this study also suggested that incorporating pre-treatment QUS parameters of a tumor improved the

  16. Increased mast cell numbers in a calcaneal tendon overuse model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pingel, Jessica; Wienecke, Jacob; Kongsgaard Madsen, Mads

    2013-01-01

    Tendinopathy is often discovered late because the initial development of tendon pathology is asymptomatic. The aim of this study was to examine the potential role of mast cell involvement in early tendinopathy using a high-intensity uphill running (HIUR) exercise model. Twenty-four male Wistar rats...... = 0.03; 2.75 ± 0.54 vs 1.17 ± 0.53, was increased in the runners. The Bonar score (P = 0.05), and the number of mast cells (P = 0.02) were significantly higher in the runners compared to the controls. Furthermore, SHGM showed focal collagen disorganization in the runners, and reduced collagen density...... (P = 0.03). IL-3 mRNA levels were correlated with mast cell number in sedentary animals. The qPCR analysis showed no significant differences between the groups in the other analyzed targets. The current study demonstrates that 7-week HIUR causes structural changes in the calcaneal tendon, and further...

  17. Bone scintigraphy, radiography and MRI in the diagnosis and evaluation of treatment response of calcaneal tuberculosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, R.; Bharathi Dasan, J.; Choudhury, S.K.; Thomas, E.J.; Sharma, S.; Ashok, S.; Trika, V.; Gupta, V.

    2002-01-01

    Aim: We describe the role of various imaging modalities in the diagnosis and follow up of calcaneal tuberculosis. Materials and methods: Six patients (5 males, 1 female; age range 16-49 years) presented with heel pain. All patients underwent routine laboratory and radiological investigations e.g. radiographs, MRI and skeletal scintigraphy as part of initial diagnostic work-up. In all patients the diagnosis of tuberculosis was confirmed based on histopathology or culture. Standard multi-drug anti-tubercular therapy (ATT) was administered for 15 months. All patients were subsequently followed up with clinical evaluation, laboratory investigations and imaging. Skeletal scintigraphy, MRI and radiographs were repeated at 12 to 15 months from the initiation of anti-tubercular treatment in all patients. Results: Five out of six patients had lytic lesions at presentation on radiographs. Four of these 5 patients also had surrounding sclerosis. Follow-up radiographs obtained 12-15 months after starting ATT, showed an increase in surrounding sclerosis with progressive reduction in area of osteopenia in four and mild sclerotic changes in one. In the remaining one patient radiograph were normal both at presentation and follow up. Three phase bone scintigraphy revealed increased blood flow and blood pool activity and 'hot spots' in 5 and a central photopenic area in the calcaneum in one patient at the time of diagnosis. After starting ATT, significant reduction in vascularity and reactive bone changes in 5 patients and mild improvement in one patient. MRI was done in three patients, which revealed hyperintense lesion with erosion of the superior articular surface in 2 and 'Bull's eye' lesion with a hypointense centre and a surrounding hyperintense rim on post contrast T1W images in one patient. Follow-up MRI showed intermediate signal intensity on T2 weighted images that corresponded to caseous necrosis and high signal intensity related to granulomas or effusion. Conclusion

  18. 18FDG PET and ultrasound echolucency in carotid artery plaques

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Graebe, Martin; Pedersen, Sune F; Højgaard, Liselotte

    2010-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: The objective was to evaluate inflammation in echolucent carotid artery plaques. BACKGROUND: Ultrasound echolucency of carotid artery plaques has been proven to differentiate patients at high risk of stroke. On the other hand, positron emission tomography (PET) of plaques with the use...... for ultrasound and PET imaging. Plaque standardized gray scale medians (GSM) were measured in longitudinal ultrasound images to quantitate echolucency, and GSM values were compared with FDG PET uptake quantified by maximum standardized uptake values (SUV). Symptomatic plaques were compared with contralateral...... plaques ranged from high to low inflammatory activity, as depicted with PET. Quantitative FDG SUV differentiated asymptomatic from symptomatic plaques, whereas GSM values did not. There was a positive correlation between CD68 expression and FDG uptake (r = 0.50, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Our results...

  19. Association between polymorphisms of apolipoprotein E, bone mineral density of the lower forearm, quantitative ultrasound of the calcaneus and osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women with hip or lower forearm fracture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sennels, Henriette Pia; Sand, J C; Madsen, B

    2003-01-01

    are contradictory. The aim of this study was to examine the association between polymorphisms of APOE, BMD of the lower forearm, quantitative ultrasound of the calcaneus and osteoporotic fractures in a population of postmenopausal women with hip or lower forearm fractures admitted to a department of orthopaedic...... surgery and age-matched controls from the population register. The APOE genotypes of 327 women were studied: 73 with lower forearm fractures, 43 with hip fractures and 211 age-matched controls. The participants were not receiving antiosteoporotic treatment. Polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment...... length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to detect the APOE genotypes. Quantitative ultrasound was measured at the calcaneus. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the lower forearm was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The distributions of genotype frequencies in this study were: E2/E2: 0.3%; E2/E3...

  20. A quantitative analysis of two-dimensional manually segmented transrectal ultrasound axial images in planning high dose rate brachytherapy for prostate cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dabić-Stanković Kata

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim. Prostate delineation, pre-planning and catheter implantation procedures, in high-dose rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT, are commonly based on the prostate manually segmented transrectal ultrasound (TRUS images. The aim of this study was to quantitatively analyze the consistency of prostate capsule delineation, done by a single therapist, prior to each HDR-BT fraction and the changes in the shape of the prostate capsule during HDR-BT, using two dimensional (2D TRUS axial image. Methods. A group of 16 patients were treated at the Medical System Belgrade Brachytherapy Department with definitive HDRBT. The total applied median dose of 52 Gy was divided into four individual fractions, each fraction being delivered 2– 3 weeks apart. Real time prostate axial visualization and the manual segmentation prior to each fraction were performed using B-K Medical ultrasound. Quantitative analyses, analysis of an area and shape were applied on 2D-TRUS axial images of the prostate. Area analyses were used to calculate the average value of the cross-sectional area of the prostate image. The parameters of the prostate shape, the fractal dimension and the circularity ratio of the prostate capsule contour were estimated at the maximum axial cross section of the prostate image. Results. The sample group consisted of four phases, each phase being performed prior to the first, second, third and fourth HDR-BT fraction, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that during HDR-BT fractions there were no significant differences in the average value of area, as well as in the maximum shape of prostate capsule. Conclusions. Quantitative analysis of TRUS axial prostate segmented images shows a successful capsule delineation in the series of manually segmented TRUS images, and the prostate maximum shape remaining unchanged during HDR-BT fractions.

  1. Sonophoresis Using Ultrasound Contrast Agents: Dependence on Concentration.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Donghee Park

    Full Text Available Sonophoresis can increase skin permeability to various drugs in transdermal drug delivery. Cavitation is recognized as the predominant mechanism of sonophoresis. Recently, a new logical approach to enhance the efficiency of transdermal drug delivery was tried. It is to utilize the engineered microbubble and its resonant frequency for increase of cavitation activity. Actively-induced cavitation with low-intensity ultrasound (less than ~1 MPa causes disordering of the lipid bilayers and the formation of aqueous channels by stable cavitation which indicates a continuous oscillation of bubbles. Furthermore, the mutual interactions of microbubble determined by concentration of added bubble are also thought to be an important factor for activity of stable cavitation, even in different characteristics of drug. In the present study, we addressed the dependence of ultrasound contrast agent concentration using two types of drug on the efficiency of transdermal drug delivery. Two types of experiment were designed to quantitatively evaluate the efficiency of transdermal drug delivery according to ultrasound contrast agent concentration. First, an experiment of optical clearing using a tissue optical clearing agent was designed to assess the efficiency of sonophoresis with ultrasound contrast agents. Second, a Franz diffusion cell with ferulic acid was used to quantitatively determine the amount of drug delivered to the skin sample by sonophoresis with ultrasound contrast agents. The maximum enhancement ratio of sonophoresis with a concentration of 1:1,000 was approximately 3.1 times greater than that in the ultrasound group without ultrasound contrast agent and approximately 7.5 times greater than that in the control group. These results support our hypothesis that sonophoresis becomes more effective in transdermal drug delivery due to the presence of engineered bubbles, and that the efficiency of transdermal drug delivery using sonophoresis with

  2. Sonophoresis Using Ultrasound Contrast Agents: Dependence on Concentration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Donghee; Song, Gillsoo; Jo, Yongjun; Won, Jongho; Son, Taeyoon; Cha, Ohrum; Kim, Jinho; Jung, Byungjo; Park, Hyunjin; Kim, Chul-Woo; Seo, Jongbum

    2016-01-01

    Sonophoresis can increase skin permeability to various drugs in transdermal drug delivery. Cavitation is recognized as the predominant mechanism of sonophoresis. Recently, a new logical approach to enhance the efficiency of transdermal drug delivery was tried. It is to utilize the engineered microbubble and its resonant frequency for increase of cavitation activity. Actively-induced cavitation with low-intensity ultrasound (less than ~1 MPa) causes disordering of the lipid bilayers and the formation of aqueous channels by stable cavitation which indicates a continuous oscillation of bubbles. Furthermore, the mutual interactions of microbubble determined by concentration of added bubble are also thought to be an important factor for activity of stable cavitation, even in different characteristics of drug. In the present study, we addressed the dependence of ultrasound contrast agent concentration using two types of drug on the efficiency of transdermal drug delivery. Two types of experiment were designed to quantitatively evaluate the efficiency of transdermal drug delivery according to ultrasound contrast agent concentration. First, an experiment of optical clearing using a tissue optical clearing agent was designed to assess the efficiency of sonophoresis with ultrasound contrast agents. Second, a Franz diffusion cell with ferulic acid was used to quantitatively determine the amount of drug delivered to the skin sample by sonophoresis with ultrasound contrast agents. The maximum enhancement ratio of sonophoresis with a concentration of 1:1,000 was approximately 3.1 times greater than that in the ultrasound group without ultrasound contrast agent and approximately 7.5 times greater than that in the control group. These results support our hypothesis that sonophoresis becomes more effective in transdermal drug delivery due to the presence of engineered bubbles, and that the efficiency of transdermal drug delivery using sonophoresis with microbubbles depends on the

  3. Efficacy of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound in the prevention of osteoporosis following spinal cord injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warden, S J; Bennell, K L; Matthews, B; Brown, D J; McMeeken, J M; Wark, J D

    2001-11-01

    Ultrasound (US), a high-frequency acoustic energy traveling in the form of a mechanical wave, represents a potential site-specific intervention for osteoporosis. Bone is a dynamic tissue that remodels in response to applied mechanical stimuli. As a form of mechanical stimulation, US is anticipated to produce a similar remodeling response. This theory is supported by growing in vitro and in vivo evidence demonstrating an osteogenic effect of pulsed-wave US at low spatial-averaged temporal-averaged intensities. The aim of this study was to investigate whether low-intensity pulsed US could prevent calcaneal osteoporosis in individuals following spinal cord injury (SCI). Fifteen patients with a 1-6 month history of SCI were recruited. Active US was introduced to one heel for 20 min/day, 5 days/week, over 6 weeks. The contralateral heel was simultaneously treated with inactive US. Patients were blind to which heel was being actively treated. Active US pulsed with a 10 microsec burst of 1.0 MHz sine waves repeating at 3.3 kHz. The spatial-averaged temporal-averaged intensity was set at 30 mW/cm(2). Bone status was assessed at baseline and following the intervention period by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and quantitative US. SCI resulted in significant bone loss. Bone mineral content decreased by 7.5 +/- 3.0% in inactive US-treated calcanei (p 0.05). These findings confirm the negative skeletal impact of SCI, and demonstrate that US at the dose and mode administered was not a beneficial intervention for SCI-induced osteoporosis. This latter finding may primarily relate to the inability of US to effectively penetrate the outer cortex of bone due to its acoustic properties.

  4. A Pilot Comparative Study of Quantitative Ultrasound, Conventional Ultrasound, and MRI for Predicting Histology-Determined Steatosis Grade in Adult Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paige, Jeremy S; Bernstein, Gregory S; Heba, Elhamy; Costa, Eduardo A C; Fereirra, Marilia; Wolfson, Tanya; Gamst, Anthony C; Valasek, Mark A; Lin, Grace Y; Han, Aiguo; Erdman, John W; O'Brien, William D; Andre, Michael P; Loomba, Rohit; Sirlin, Claude B

    2017-05-01

    The purpose of this study is to explore the diagnostic performance of two investigational quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters, attenuation coefficient and backscatter coefficient, in comparison with conventional ultrasound (CUS) and MRI-estimated proton density fat fraction (PDFF) for predicting histology-confirmed steatosis grade in adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this prospectively designed pilot study, 61 adults with histology-confirmed NAFLD were enrolled from September 2012 to February 2014. Subjects underwent QUS, CUS, and MRI examinations within 100 days of clinical-care liver biopsy. QUS parameters (attenuation coefficient and backscatter coefficient) were estimated using a reference phantom technique by two analysts independently. Three-point ordinal CUS scores intended to predict steatosis grade (1, 2, or 3) were generated independently by two radiologists on the basis of QUS features. PDFF was estimated using an advanced chemical shift-based MRI technique. Using histologic examination as the reference standard, ROC analysis was performed. Optimal attenuation coefficient, backscatter coefficient, and PDFF cutoff thresholds were identified, and the accuracy of attenuation coefficient, backscatter coefficient, PDFF, and CUS to predict steatosis grade was determined. Interobserver agreement for attenuation coefficient, backscatter coefficient, and CUS was analyzed. CUS had 51.7% grading accuracy. The raw and cross-validated steatosis grading accuracies were 61.7% and 55.0%, respectively, for attenuation coefficient, 68.3% and 68.3% for backscatter coefficient, and 76.7% and 71.3% for MRI-estimated PDFF. Interobserver agreements were 53.3% for CUS (κ = 0.61), 90.0% for attenuation coefficient (κ = 0.87), and 71.7% for backscatter coefficient (κ = 0.82) (p hepatic steatosis grade in patients with NAFLD.

  5. Bohler's angle's role in assessing the injury severity and functional outcome of internal fixation for displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures: a retrospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Yanling; Chen, Wei; Zhang, Tao; Wu, Xingwang; Wu, Zhanpo; Zhang, Yingze

    2013-09-24

    Controversy exits over the role of Böhler's angle in assessing the injury severity of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures and predicting the functional outcome following internal fixation. This study aims to investigate whether a correlation exists between Böhler's angle and the injury severity of displaced calcaneal fractures, and between surgical improvement of Böhler's angle and functional outcome. Patients treated operatively for unilateral closed displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures from January 1, 2004 to March 31, 2008 were identified. The Böhler's angles of both calcaneus were measured, and the measurement of the uninjured foot was used as its normal control. The difference in the value of Böhler's angle measured preoperatively or postoperatively between the angle of the injured foot and that of the contralateral calcaneus were calculated, respectively. The change in Böhler's angle by ratio was calculated by dividing the difference value of Böhler's angle between bilateral calcaneus by its normal control. The injury severity was assessed according to Sanders classification. The functional outcomes were assessed using American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society hindfoot scores. 274 patients were included into the study with a mean follow-up duration of 71 months. According to Sanders classification, the fracture pattern included 105 type II, 121 type III and 48 type IV fractures. According to American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society hindfoot scoring system, the excellent, good, fair and poor results were achieved in 104, 132, 27, and 11 patients, respectively. The preoperative Böhler's angle, difference value of Böhler's angle between bilateral calcaneus, and change in Böhler's angle by ratio each has a significant correlation with Sanders classification (rs=-0.178, P=0.003; rs=-0.174, P=0.004; rs=-0.172, P=0.005, respectively), however, is not correlated with functional outcome individually. The three postoperative measurements

  6. Noninvasive Diagnosis of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Quantification of Liver Fat Using a New Quantitative Ultrasound Technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Steven C; Heba, Elhamy; Wolfson, Tanya; Ang, Brandon; Gamst, Anthony; Han, Aiguo; Erdman, John W; O'Brien, William D; Andre, Michael P; Sirlin, Claude B; Loomba, Rohit

    2015-07-01

    Liver biopsy analysis is the standard method used to diagnose nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Advanced magnetic resonance imaging is a noninvasive procedure that can accurately diagnose and quantify steatosis, but is expensive. Conventional ultrasound is more accessible but identifies steatosis with low levels of sensitivity, specificity, and quantitative accuracy, and results vary among technicians. A new quantitative ultrasound (QUS) technique can identify steatosis in animal models. We assessed the accuracy of QUS in the diagnosis and quantification of hepatic steatosis, comparing findings with those from magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) analysis as a reference. We performed a prospective, cross-sectional analysis of a cohort of adults (N = 204) with NAFLD (MRI-PDFF, ≥5%) and without NAFLD (controls). Subjects underwent MRI-PDFF and QUS analyses of the liver on the same day at the University of California, San Diego, from February 2012 through March 2014. QUS parameters and backscatter coefficient (BSC) values were calculated. Patients were assigned randomly to training (n = 102; mean age, 51 ± 17 y; mean body mass index, 31 ± 7 kg/m(2)) and validation (n = 102; mean age, 49 ± 17 y; body mass index, 30 ± 6 kg/m(2)) groups; 69% of patients in each group had NAFLD. BSC (range, 0.00005-0.25 1/cm-sr) correlated with MRI-PDFF (Spearman ρ = 0.80; P hepatic steatosis, based on a cross-sectional analysis that used MRI-PDFF as the reference. With further validation, QUS could be an inexpensive, widely available method to screen the general or at-risk population for NAFLD. Copyright © 2015 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Application of power ultrasound in radiochemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moisy, Ph.; Venault, L.; Blanc, P.; Madic, C.; Nikitenko, S.

    1998-01-01

    The chemical effects of ultrasound are related to cavitation process: nucleation, bubble growth and cavitation collapse. Sono-chemical reactions occur due to the rapid heating of the contents of cavitation bubbles. The shock-waves generated by cavitation collapse cause intense emulsification of the immiscible liquids. The CEA/Marcoule research group investigated the effect of power ultrasound on the homogeneous and heterogeneous (liquid-liquid) actinide reactions, in aqueous nitric acid media. It was found that U(IV), Np(V) and Pu(III) can be rapidly oxidized in HNO 3 solutions by HNO 2 , generated by the effect of power ultrasound on HNO 3 solutions. HNO 2 , formed during HNO 3 sono-lysis, decomposes hydrazinium nitrate within the cavitation bubbles. This makes it possible to the control actinide oxidation states without adding any side chemical reagents (NaNO 2 , for example). The quantitative data on the effect in the ultrasonic field in nitric acid medium are discussed, and sono-chemical mechanisms are proposed for nitrous acid formation and hydrazinium nitrate decomposition. In the presence of anti-nitrous reagents, such as hydrazinium nitrate and sulfamic acid, U(IV) was found to be oxidized and Pu(IV) reduced by H 2 O 2 formed as the result of aqueous nitric acid sono-lysis. The kinetics of H 2 O 2 formation is faster than in water, for the same sono-chemical conditions. Np(V) is rapidly oxidized, by aqueous phase HNO 2 , under the effect of ultrasound on the two-phase system TBP-dodecane/HNO 3 . Intense emulsification of the liquid/liquid system accelerates the mass transfer, of Np(VI) formed, into the organic phase. The quantitative effect of power ultrasound in aqueous nitric acid, with or without anti-nitrous reagents, can be used to predict the behavior of actinides in the ultrasonic field in nitric acid medium. (author)

  8. [Menopause and ultrasonographic measurements of calcaneus].

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Caudana, Alma Ethelia; Castillo-Calderón, María Griselda; Ávila-Jiménez, Laura

    2014-01-01

    In Mexico, calcaneal ultrasound measurements -bone mineral density (BMD), broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA), speed of sound (SOS), ultrasonic quantitative index (QUI)- and their differences in regards to menopause have not been documented. It was carried out a cross-sectional study in 862 women from 20 to 90 years old, incorporated through consecutive sample, who were users of the Sistema para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF) in Morelos. Sociodemographic, reproductive and life style factors were identified. BMD, BUA, SOS and QUI were measured with quantitative ultrasound (QUS), using a Sunlight Omnisense 7000 S device. Adjusted differences in the mean of these measurements were estimated between pre and postmenopausal women through multiple linear regression. The medians were: BMD, 0.455 g/cm² (IQR, interquartile range = 0.378, 0.538); BUA, 66.0 dB/mHz (IQR = 54.3, 78.1); SOS, 1530.7 m/s (IQR = 1509.8, 1551.7); QUI = 83.7 units (IQR = 71.1, 96.6). In postmenopausal women, adjusted mean for BUA was -4.34 dB/mHz (CI 95 % = -8.23,-0.43); for SOS, -4.26 m/s (CI 95 % = -13.82, 5.30) ; for QUI, -4.42 units (CI 95 % = -8.64,-0.19). This report increases information about the clinical applicability of QUS. SOS in calcaneus does not reflect changes related with menopause.

  9. Quantitative Assessment of Skin Stiffness in Localized Scleroderma Using Ultrasound Shear-Wave Elastography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Liyun; Yan, Feng; Yang, Yujia; Xiang, Xi; Qiu, Li

    2017-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of ultrasound shear-wave elastography (US-SWE) in characterization of localized scleroderma (LS), as well as in the disease staging. A total of 21 patients with 37 LS lesions were enrolled in this study. The pathologic stage (edema, sclerosis or atrophy) of the lesions was characterized by pathologic examination. The skin elastic modulus (E-values including E mean , E min , E max and E sd ) and thickness (h) was evaluated both in LS lesions and site-matched unaffected skin (normal controls) using US-SWE. The relative difference of E-values (E RD ) was calculated between each pair of lesions and its normal control for comparison among different pathologic stages. Of the 37 LS lesions, 2 were in edema, 22 were in sclerosis and 13 were in atrophy. US-SWE results showed a significant increase of skin elastic modulus and thickness in all lesions (p < 0.001 in sclerosis and p < 0.05 in atrophy) compared with the normal controls. The measured skin elastic modulus and thickness were greater in sclerosis than in atrophy. However, once normalized by skin thickness, the atrophic lesions, which were on average thinner, appeared significantly stiffer than those of the sclerosis (normalized E RD : an increase of 316.3% in atrophy vs. 50.6% in sclerosis compared with the controls, p = 0.007). These findings suggest that US-SWE allows for quantitative evaluation of the skin stiffness of LS lesions in different stages; however, the E-values directly provided by the US-SWE system alone do not distinguish between the stages, and the normalization by skin thickness is necessary. This non-invasive, real-time imaging technique is an ideal tool for assessing and monitoring LS disease severity and progression. Copyright © 2017 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. CT of calcaneal fractures: 3-D-reformations with electronic disarticulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freund, M.; Hohendorff, B.; Zenker, W.; Hutzelmann, A.; Heller, M.

    1996-01-01

    25 patients with intra-articular calcaneal fractures underwent diagnostic CT-examinations. Axial slices, sagittal and 3-D-reformations with and without electronic disarticulation were performed. The sagittal and both types of 3-D-reformations were compared to the axial slices with regard to the diagnostic criteria: Involvement of articular facets, number of fragments, and traumatic changes of the hindfoot. The best proof of involvement of articular facets is found in axial slices and 3-D-reconstructions after disarticulation followed by sagittal reconstructions. Usually on 3-D-reconstructions without disarticulation articular facets cannot be identified because of overlapping bones. The number of fragments is clearly demonstrated by axial slices and sagittal reconstructions followed by 3-D-reconstructions after disarticulation. Traumatic changes of the hindfoot can be diagnosed in all four forms of visualisation. The decisive diagnosis for treatment planning is made based on the axial slices supported by sagittal reformations. In unclarified cases 3-D-reformations after electronic disarticulation may provide further information. 3-D-reformations without disarticulation are useless. (orig./MG) [de

  11. A validation of the first genome-wide association study of calcaneus ultrasound parameters in the European Male Ageing Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Han Thang S

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs have been associated with broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA and speed of sound (SOS as measured by quantitative ultrasound (QUS at the calcaneus in the Framingham 100K genome-wide association study (GWAS but have not been validated in independent studies. The aim of this analysis was to determine if these SNPs are associated with QUS measurements assessed in a large independent population of European middle-aged and elderly men. The association between these SNPs and bone mineral density (BMD measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA was also tested. Methods Men aged 40-79 years (N = 2960 were recruited from population registers in seven European centres for participation in an observational study of male ageing, the European Male Ageing Study (EMAS. QUS at the calcaneus was measured in all subjects and blood was taken for genetic analysis. Lumbar spine (LS, femoral neck (FN and total hip (TH BMD were measured by DXA in a subsample of 620 men in two centres. SNPs associated with BUA or SOS in the Framingham study with p -4 were selected and genotyped using SEQUENOM technology. Linear regression was used to test for the association between SNPs and standardised (SD bone outcomes under an additive genetic model adjusting for centre. The same direction of effect and p Results Thirty-four of 38 selected SNPs were successfully genotyped in 2377 men. Suggestive evidence of replication was observed for a single SNP, rs3754032, which was associated with a higher SOS (β(SD = 0.07, p = 0.032 but not BUA (β(SD = 0.02, p = 0.505 and is located in the 3'UTR of WDR77 (WD repeat domain 77 also known as androgen receptor cofactor p44. A single SNP, rs238358, was associated with BMD at the LS (β(SD = -0.22, p = 0.014, FN (β(SD = -0.31,p = 0.001 and TH (β(SD = -0.36, p = 0.002 in a locus previously associated with LS BMD in large-scale GWAS, incorporating AKAP11 and RANKL

  12. Instant magnetic labeling of tumor cells by ultrasound in vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mo Runyang; Yang Jian; Wu, Ed X.; Lin Shuyu

    2011-01-01

    Magnetic labeling of living cells creates opportunities for numerous biomedical applications. Here we describe an instantly cell magnetic labeling method based on ultrasound. We present a detailed study on the ultrasound performance of a simple and efficient labeling protocol for H-22 cells in vitro. High frequency focus ultrasound was investigated as an alternative method to achieve instant cell labeling with the magnetic particles without the need for adjunct agents or initiating cell cultures. Mean diameter of 168 nm dextran-T40 coated superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles were prepared by means of classical coprecipitation in solution in our laboratory. H-22 tumor cells suspended in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH=7.2) were exposed to ultrasound at 1.37 MHz for up to 120 s in the presence of SPIOs. The cellular uptake of iron oxide nanoparticles was detected by prussion blue staining. The viability of cells was determined by a trypan blue exclusion test. At 2 W power and 60 s ultrasound exposure in presence of 410 μg/ml SPIOs, H-22 cell labeling efficiency reached 69.4±6.3% and the labeled cells exhibited an iron content of 10.38±2.43 pg per cell. Furthermore, 95.2±3.2% cells remained viable. The results indicated that the ultrasound protocol could be potentially applied to label cells with large-sized magnetic particles. We also calculated the shear stress at the 2 W power and 1.37 MHz used in experiments. The results showed that the shear stress threshold for ultrasonically induced H-22 cell reparable sonoporation was 697 Pa. These findings provide a quantitative guidance in designing ultrasound protocols for cell labeling. - Highlights: → High frequency focus ultrasound can be used as a safe method for instant magnetic labeling of cells. → 8-16 times increased efficiency can be gained by ultrasound versus that by transfection agents. → Calculation of shear stress around cells provide a quantitative design for ultrasound protocols.

  13. Musculoskeletal ultrasound and other imaging modalities in rheumatoid arthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohrndorf, Sarah; Werner, Stephanie G; Finzel, Stephanie; Backhaus, Marina

    2013-05-01

    This review refers to the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) both in clinical practice and research. Furthermore, other novel sensitive imaging modalities (high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography and fluorescence optical imaging) are introduced in this article. Recently published ultrasound studies presented power Doppler activity by ultrasound highly predictive for later radiographic erosions in patients with RA. Another study presented synovitis detected by ultrasound being predictive of subsequent structural radiographic destruction irrespective of the ultrasound modality (grayscale ultrasound/power Doppler ultrasound). Further studies are currently under way which prove ultrasound findings as imaging biomarkers in the destructive process of RA. Other introduced novel imaging modalities are in the validation process to prove their impact and significance in inflammatory joint diseases. The introduced imaging modalities show different sensitivities and specificities as well as strength and weakness belonging to the assessment of inflammation, differentiation of the involved structures and radiological progression. The review tries to give an answer regarding how to best integrate them into daily clinical practice with the aim to improve the diagnostic algorithms, the daily patient care and, furthermore, the disease's outcome.

  14. Noncontact ultrasound imaging applied to cortical bone phantoms

    OpenAIRE

    Bulman, J. B.; Ganezer, K. S.; Halcrow, P. W.; Neeson, Ian

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to take the first steps toward applying noncontact ultrasound (NCU) to the tasks of monitoring osteoporosis and quantitative ultrasound imaging (QUS) of cortical bone. The authors also focused on the advantages of NCU, such as its lack of reliance on a technologist to apply transducers and a layer of acoustical coupling gel, the ability of the transducers to operate autonomously as specified by preprogrammed software, and the likely reduction in statisti...

  15. Quantitative analysis of breast echotexture patterns in automated breast ultrasound images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Ruey-Feng; Hou, Yu-Ling; Lo, Chung-Ming; Huang, Chiun-Sheng; Chen, Jeon-Hor; Kim, Won Hwa; Chang, Jung Min; Bae, Min Sun; Moon, Woo Kyung

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: Breast tissue composition is considered to be associated with breast cancer risk. This study aimed to develop a computer-aided classification (CAC) system to automatically classify echotexture patterns as heterogeneous or homogeneous using automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) images. Methods: A CAC system was proposed that can recognize breast echotexture patterns in ABUS images. For each case, the echotexture pattern was assessed by two expert radiologists and classified as heterogeneous or homogeneous. After neutrosophic image transformation and fuzzy c-mean clusterings, the lower and upper boundaries of the fibroglandular tissues were defined. Then, the number of hypoechoic regions and histogram features were extracted from the fibroglandular tissues, and the support vector machine model with the leave-one-out cross-validation method was utilized as the classifier. The authors’ database included a total of 208 ABUS images of the breasts of 104 females. Results: The accuracies of the proposed system for the classification of heterogeneous and homogeneous echotexture patterns were 93.48% (43/46) and 92.59% (150/162), respectively, with an overall Az (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) of 0.9786. The agreement between the radiologists and the proposed system was almost perfect, with a kappa value of 0.814. Conclusions: The use of ABUS and the proposed method can provide quantitative information on the echotexture patterns of the breast and can be used to evaluate whether breast echotexture patterns are associated with breast cancer risk in the future

  16. Quantitative analysis of breast echotexture patterns in automated breast ultrasound images

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chang, Ruey-Feng [Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan and Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Hou, Yu-Ling [Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Lo, Chung-Ming [Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Huang, Chiun-Sheng [Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Chen, Jeon-Hor [Department of Radiology, E-Da Hospital and I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 82445, Taiwan and Tu and Yuen Center for Functional Onco-Imaging and Department of Radiological Science, University of California, Irvine, California 92697 (United States); Kim, Won Hwa; Chang, Jung Min; Bae, Min Sun; Moon, Woo Kyung, E-mail: moonwk@snu.ac.kr [Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 110-744 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-08-15

    Purpose: Breast tissue composition is considered to be associated with breast cancer risk. This study aimed to develop a computer-aided classification (CAC) system to automatically classify echotexture patterns as heterogeneous or homogeneous using automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) images. Methods: A CAC system was proposed that can recognize breast echotexture patterns in ABUS images. For each case, the echotexture pattern was assessed by two expert radiologists and classified as heterogeneous or homogeneous. After neutrosophic image transformation and fuzzy c-mean clusterings, the lower and upper boundaries of the fibroglandular tissues were defined. Then, the number of hypoechoic regions and histogram features were extracted from the fibroglandular tissues, and the support vector machine model with the leave-one-out cross-validation method was utilized as the classifier. The authors’ database included a total of 208 ABUS images of the breasts of 104 females. Results: The accuracies of the proposed system for the classification of heterogeneous and homogeneous echotexture patterns were 93.48% (43/46) and 92.59% (150/162), respectively, with an overall Az (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) of 0.9786. The agreement between the radiologists and the proposed system was almost perfect, with a kappa value of 0.814. Conclusions: The use of ABUS and the proposed method can provide quantitative information on the echotexture patterns of the breast and can be used to evaluate whether breast echotexture patterns are associated with breast cancer risk in the future.

  17. Use of quantitative ultrasound of the hand phalanges in the diagnosis of two different osteoporotic syndromes: Cushing's syndrome and postmenopausal osteoporosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camozzi, V; Carraro, V; Zangari, M; Fallo, F; Mantero, F; Luisetto, G

    2004-06-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the ability of the quantitative ultrasound of the hand phalanges to detect different types of osteoporosis resulting from different pathogenetic mechanisms. For this purpose, postmenopausal and glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis was studied. Thirteen female patients with Cushing's syndrome (CS) resulting from pituitary-dependent bilateral adrenal hyperplasia (10 patients) and from adrenal adenoma (3 patients), and 32 postmenopausal osteoporotic (OP) women, were examined. The two groups of patients were comparable for body mass index (BMI), but CS patients were significantly younger than OP ones (CS 44.5+/-11.6; OP: 73.9+/-3.6). All the patients had femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) T-score less than -2.0. Cushing patients had a femoral neck BMD similar to that of OP patients (CS: 603+/-66 mg/cm2; OP: 628+/-69 mg/cm2; p=0.19). In contrast, amplitude-dependent speed of sound (AD-SoS) was significantly higher in CS patients than in OP patients (CS: 1997+/-91 m/s; OP: 1707+/-114 m/s; p<0.0001). By adjusting DXA and ultrasound parameters according to age, femoral neck BMD was significantly lower in CS patients and AD-SoS remained significantly higher than in OP patients. These findings indicate that these two different kinds of osteoporosis can be distinguished by ultrasonography and that ultrasound parameters alone cannot be used for evaluating skeletal status in CS patients.

  18. Advanced ultrasound applications in the assessment of renal transplants: contrast-enhanced ultrasound, elastography, and B-flow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, Tara A; Jha, Priyanka; Poder, Liina; Weinstein, Stefanie

    2018-04-09

    Ultrasound is routinely used as the first imaging exam for evaluation of renal transplants and can identify most major surgical complications and evaluate vascularity with color Doppler. Ultrasound is limited, however, in the detection of parenchymal disease processes and Doppler evaluation is also prone to technical errors. Multiple new ultrasound applications have been developed and are under ongoing investigation which could add additional diagnostic capability to the routine ultrasound exam with minimal additional time, cost, and patient risk. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can be used off-label in the transplant kidney, and can assist in detection of infection, trauma, and vascular complications. CEUS also can demonstrate perfusion of the transplant assessed quantitatively with generation of time-intensity curves. Future directions of CEUS include monitoring treatment response and microbubble targeted medication delivery. Elastography is an ultrasound application that can detect changes in tissue elasticity, which is useful to diagnose diffuse parenchymal disease, such as fibrosis, otherwise unrecognizable with ultrasound. Elastography has been successfully applied in other organs including the liver, thyroid, and breast; however, it is still under development for use in the transplant kidney. Unique properties of the transplant kidney including its heterogeneity, anatomic location, and other technical factors present challenges in the development of reference standard measurements. Lastly, B-flow imaging is a flow application derived from B-mode. This application can show the true lumen size of a vessel which is useful to depict vascular anatomy and bypasses some of the pitfalls of color Doppler such as demonstration of slow flow.

  19. Steato-Score: Non-Invasive Quantitative Assessment of Liver Fat by Ultrasound Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Lascio, Nicole; Avigo, Cinzia; Salvati, Antonio; Martini, Nicola; Ragucci, Monica; Monti, Serena; Prinster, Anna; Chiappino, Dante; Mancini, Marcello; D'Elia, Domenico; Ghiadoni, Lorenzo; Bonino, Ferruccio; Brunetto, Maurizia R; Faita, Francesco

    2018-05-04

    Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is becoming a global epidemic. The aim of this study was to develop a system for assessing liver fat content based on ultrasound images. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements were obtained in 61 patients and the controlled attenuation parameter in 54. Ultrasound images were acquired for all 115 participants and used to calculate the hepatic/renal ratio, hepatic/portal vein ratio, attenuation rate, diaphragm visualization and portal vein wall visualization. The Steato-score was obtained by combining these five parameters. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements were significantly correlated with hepatic/renal ratio, hepatic/portal vein ratio, attenuation rate, diaphragm visualization and portal vein wall visualization; Steato-score was dependent on hepatic/renal ratio, attenuation rate and diaphragm visualization. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was equal to 0.98, with 89% sensitivity and 94% specificity. Controlled attenuation parameter values were significantly correlated with hepatic/renal ratio, attenuation rate, diaphragm visualization and Steato-score; the area under the curve was 0.79. This system could be a valid alternative as a non-invasive, simple and inexpensive assessment of intrahepatic fat. Copyright © 2018 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Ultrasound Imaging Techniques for Spatiotemporal Characterization of Composition, Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties in Tissue Engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Cheri X; Hong, Xiaowei; Stegemann, Jan P

    2016-08-01

    Ultrasound techniques are increasingly being used to quantitatively characterize both native and engineered tissues. This review provides an overview and selected examples of the main techniques used in these applications. Grayscale imaging has been used to characterize extracellular matrix deposition, and quantitative ultrasound imaging based on the integrated backscatter coefficient has been applied to estimating cell concentrations and matrix morphology in tissue engineering. Spectral analysis has been employed to characterize the concentration and spatial distribution of mineral particles in a construct, as well as to monitor mineral deposition by cells over time. Ultrasound techniques have also been used to measure the mechanical properties of native and engineered tissues. Conventional ultrasound elasticity imaging and acoustic radiation force imaging have been applied to detect regions of altered stiffness within tissues. Sonorheometry and monitoring of steady-state excitation and recovery have been used to characterize viscoelastic properties of tissue using a single transducer to both deform and image the sample. Dual-mode ultrasound elastography uses separate ultrasound transducers to produce a more potent deformation force to microscale characterization of viscoelasticity of hydrogel constructs. These ultrasound-based techniques have high potential to impact the field of tissue engineering as they are further developed and their range of applications expands.

  1. Computer Aided Theragnosis Using Quantitative Ultrasound Spectroscopy and Maximum Mean Discrepancy in Locally Advanced Breast Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gangeh, Mehrdad J; Tadayyon, Hadi; Sannachi, Lakshmanan; Sadeghi-Naini, Ali; Tran, William T; Czarnota, Gregory J

    2016-03-01

    A noninvasive computer-aided-theragnosis (CAT) system was developed for the early therapeutic cancer response assessment in patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The proposed CAT system was based on multi-parametric quantitative ultrasound (QUS) spectroscopic methods in conjunction with advanced machine learning techniques. Specifically, a kernel-based metric named maximum mean discrepancy (MMD), a technique for learning from imbalanced data based on random undersampling, and supervised learning were investigated with response-monitoring data from LABC patients. The CAT system was tested on 56 patients using statistical significance tests and leave-one-subject-out classification techniques. Textural features using state-of-the-art local binary patterns (LBP), and gray-scale intensity features were extracted from the spectral parametric maps in the proposed CAT system. The system indicated significant differences in changes between the responding and non-responding patient populations as well as high accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity in discriminating between the two patient groups early after the start of treatment, i.e., on weeks 1 and 4 of several months of treatment. The proposed CAT system achieved an accuracy of 85%, 87%, and 90% on weeks 1, 4 and 8, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of developed CAT system for the same times was 85%, 95%, 90% and 85%, 85%, 91%, respectively. The proposed CAT system thus establishes a noninvasive framework for monitoring cancer treatment response in tumors using clinical ultrasound imaging in conjunction with machine learning techniques. Such a framework can potentially facilitate the detection of refractory responses in patients to treatment early on during a course of therapy to enable possibly switching to more efficacious treatments.

  2. Characterization of the Lung Parenchyma Using Ultrasound Multiple Scattering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohanty, Kaustav; Blackwell, John; Egan, Thomas; Muller, Marie

    2017-05-01

    The purpose of the study described here was to showcase the application of ultrasound to quantitative characterization of the micro-architecture of the lung parenchyma to predict the extent of pulmonary edema. The lung parenchyma is a highly complex and diffusive medium for which ultrasound techniques have remained qualitative. The approach presented here is based on ultrasound multiple scattering and exploits the complexity of ultrasound propagation in the lung structure. The experimental setup consisted of a linear transducer array with an 8-MHz central frequency placed in contact with the lung surface. The diffusion constant D and transport mean free path L* of the lung parenchyma were estimated by separating the incoherent and coherent intensities in the near field and measuring the growth of the incoherent diffusive halo over time. Significant differences were observed between the L* values obtained in healthy and edematous rat lungs in vivo. In the control rat lung, L* was found to be 332 μm (±48.8 μm), whereas in the edematous lung, it was 1040 μm (±90 μm). The reproducibility of the measurements of L* and D was tested in vivo and in phantoms made of melamine sponge with varying air volume fractions. Two-dimensional finite difference time domain numerical simulations were carried out on rabbit lung histology images with varying degrees of lung collapse. Significant correlations were observed between air volume fraction and L* in simulation (r = -0.9542, p lung in which edema was simulated by adding phosphate-buffered saline revealed a linear relationship between the fluid volume fraction and L*. These results illustrate the potential of methods based on ultrasound multiple scattering for the quantitative characterization of the lung parenchyma. Copyright © 2017 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Outcomes of a Stepcut Lengthening Calcaneal Osteotomy for Adult-Acquired Flatfoot Deformity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demetracopoulos, Constantine A; Nair, Pallavi; Malzberg, Andrew; Deland, Jonathan T

    2015-07-01

    Lateral column lengthening is used to correct abduction deformity at the midfoot and improve talar head coverage in patients with flatfoot deformity. It was our hypothesis that following a stepcut lengthening calcaneal osteotomy (SLCO), patients would have adequate correction of the deformity, a high union rate of the osteotomy, and improvement in clinical outcome scores. We retrospectively reviewed 37 consecutive patients who underwent SLCO for the treatment of stage IIB flatfoot deformity with a minimum 2-year follow-up. Deformity correction was assessed using preoperative and postoperative weight-bearing radiographs. Healing of the osteotomy was assessed by computed tomography. Clinical outcomes included the FAOS and SF-36 questionnaires. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare clinical outcome scores. An alpha level of .05 was deemed statistically significant. Healing of the osteotomy occurred at a mean of 7.7 weeks postoperatively. The talonavicular (TN) coverage angle improved from 34.0 to 8.8 (P lengthening. Level IV, retrospective case review. © The Author(s) 2015.

  4. Quantitative contrast-enhanced ultrasound evaluation of pathological complete response in patients with locally advanced breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Cai-Feng; Liu, Xue-Song; Wang, Lin; Zhang, Jie; Lu, Jin-Song; Li, Feng-Hua

    2018-06-01

    To clarify whether the quantitative parameters of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can be used to predict pathological complete response (pCR) in patients with locally advanced breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Fifty-one patients with histologically proved locally advanced breast cancer scheduled for NAC were enrolled. The quantitative data for CEUS and the tumor diameter were collected at baseline and before surgery, and compared with the pathological response. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to examine quantitative parameters at CEUS and the tumor diameter to predict the pCR, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used as a summary statistic. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that PEAK (the maximum intensity of the time-intensity curve during bolus transit), PEAK%, TTP% (time to peak), and diameter% were significant independent predictors of pCR, and the area under the ROC curve was 0.932(Az 1 ), and the sensitivity and specificity to predict pCR were 93.7% and 80.0%. The area under the ROC curve for the quantitative parameters was 0.927(Az 2 ), and the sensitivity and specificity to predict pCR were 81.2% and 94.3%. For diameter%, the area under the ROC curve was 0.786 (Az 3 ), and the sensitivity and specificity to predict pCR were 93.8% and 54.3%. The values of Az 1 and Az 2 were significantly higher than that of Az 3 (P = 0.027 and P = 0.034, respectively). However, there was no significant difference between the values of Az 1 and Az 2 (P = 0.825). Quantitative analysis of tumor blood perfusion with CEUS is superior to diameter% to predict pCR, and can be used as a functional technique to evaluate tumor response to NAC. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  5. A comparison of portable ultrasound and fully-equipped clinical ultrasound unit in the thyroid size measurement of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian C W Kot

    Full Text Available Measurement of thyroid size and volume is a useful clinical parameter in both human and veterinary medicine, particularly for diagnosing thyroid diseases and guiding corrective therapy. Procuring a fully-equipped clinical ultrasound unit (FCUS may be difficult in most veterinary settings. The present study evaluated the inter-equipment variability in dolphin thyroid ultrasound measurements between a portable ultrasound unit (PUS and a FCUS; for both units, repeatability was also assessed. Thyroid ultrasound examinations were performed on 15 apparently healthy bottlenose dolphins with both PUS and FCUS under identical scanning conditions. There was a high level of agreement between the two ultrasound units in dolphin thyroid measurements (ICC = 0.859-0.976. A high intra-operator repeatability in thyroid measurements was found (PUS: ICC = 0.854-0.984, FCUS: ICC = 0.709-0.954. As a conclusion, no substantial inter-equipment variability was found between PUS and FCUS in dolphin thyroid size measurements under identical scanning conditions, supporting further application of PUS for quantitative analyses of dolphin thyroid gland in both research and clinical practices at aquarium settings.

  6. Interobserver and intraobserver reliability of two classification systems for intra-articular calcaneal fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lauder, Anthony J; Inda, David J; Bott, Aaron M; Clare, Michael P; Fitzgibbons, Timothy C; Mormino, Matthew A

    2006-04-01

    For a fracture classification to be useful it must provide prognostic significance, interobserver reliability, and intraobserver reproducibility. Most studies have found reliability and reproducibility to be poor for fracture classification schemes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interobserver and intraobserver reliability of the Sanders and Crosby-Fitzgibbons classification systems, two commonly used methods for classifying intra-articular calcaneal fractures. Twenty-five CT scans of intra-articular calcaneal fractures occurring at one trauma center were reviewed. The CT images were presented to eight observers (two orthopaedic surgery chief residents, two foot and ankle fellows, two fellowship-trained orthopaedic trauma surgeons, and two fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeons) on two separate occasions 8 weeks apart. On each viewing, observers were asked to classify the fractures according to both the Sanders and Crosby-Fitzgibbons systems. Interobserver reliability and intraobserver reproducibility were assessed with computer-generated kappa statistics (SAS software; SAS Institute Inc., Cary, North Carolina). Total unanimity (eight of eight observers assigned the same fracture classification) was achieved only 24% (six of 25) of the time with the Sanders system and 36% (nine of 25) of the time with the Crosby-Fitzgibbons scheme. Interobserver reliability for the Sanders classification method reached a moderate (kappa = 0.48, 0.50) level of agreement, when the subclasses were included. The agreement level increased but remained in the moderate (kappa = 0.55, 0.55) range when the subclasses were excluded. Interobserver agreement reached a substantial (kappa = 0.63, 0.63) level with the Crosby-Fitzgibbons system. Intraobserver reproducibility was better for both schemes. The Sanders system with subclasses included reached moderate (kappa = 0.57) agreement, while ignoring the subclasses brought agreement into the substantial (kappa = 0.77) range

  7. Ultrasound transmission spectroscopy: in-line sizing of nanoparticles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Neer, P.L.M.J. van; Volker, A.W.F.; Pierre, G.; Bouvet, F.; Crozat, S.

    2014-01-01

    Nanoparticles are increasingly used in a number of applications, e.g. coatings or paints. To optimize nanoparticle production in-line quantitative measurements of their size distribution and concentration are needed. Ultrasound-based methods are especially suited for in-line particle sizing. These

  8. [Comparison of two quantitative methods of endobronchial ultrasound real-time elastography for evaluating intrathoracic lymph nodes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, X W; Yang, J Y; Zheng, X X; Wang, L; Zhu, L; Li, Y; Xiong, H K; Sun, J Y

    2017-06-12

    Objective: To compare the clinical value of two quantitative methods in analyzing endobronchial ultrasound real-time elastography (EBUS-RTE) images for evaluating intrathoracic lymph nodes. Methods: From January 2014 to April 2014, EBUS-RTE examination was performed in patients who received EBUS-TBNA examination in Shanghai Chest Hospital. Each intrathoracic lymph node had a selected EBUS-RTE image. Stiff area ratio and mean hue value of region of interest (ROI) in each image were calculated respectively. The final diagnosis of lymph node was based on the pathologic/microbiologic results of EBUS-TBNA, pathologic/microbiologic results of other examinations and clinical following-up. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were evaluated for distinguishing malignant and benign lesions. Results: Fifty-six patients and 68 lymph nodes were enrolled in this study, of which 35 lymph nodes were malignant and 33 lymph nodes were benign. The stiff area ratio and mean hue value of benign and malignant lesions were 0.32±0.29, 0.62±0.20 and 109.99±28.13, 141.62±17.52, respectively, and statistical differences were found in both of those two methods ( t =-5.14, P methods can be used for analyzing EBUS-RTE images quantitatively, having the value of differentiating benign and malignant intrathoracic lymph nodes, and the stiff area ratio is better than the mean hue value between the two methods.

  9. Quantitative head ultrasound measurements to determine thresholds for preterm neonates requiring interventional therapies following intraventricular hemorrhage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kishimoto, Jessica; Fenster, Aaron; Salehi, Fateme; Romano, Walter; Lee, David S. C.; de Ribaupierre, Sandrine

    2016-04-01

    Dilation of the cerebral ventricles is a common condition in preterm neonates with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). This post hemorrhagic ventricle dilation (PHVD) can lead to lifelong neurological impairment through ischemic injury due to increased intracranial pressure and without treatment, can lead to death. Clinically, 2D ultrasound (US) through the fontanelles ('soft spots') of the patients are serially acquired to monitor the progression of the ventricle dilation. These images are used to determine when interventional therapies such as needle aspiration of the built up cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ('ventricle tap', VT) might be indicated for a patient; however, quantitative measurements of the growth of the ventricles are often not performed. There is no consensus on when a neonate with PHVD should have an intervention and often interventions are performed after the potential for brain damage is quite high. Previously we have developed and validated a 3D US system to monitor the progression of ventricle volumes (VV) in IVH patients. We will describe the potential utility of quantitative 2D and 3D US to monitor and manage PHVD in neonates. Specifically, we will look to determine image-based measurement thresholds for patients who will require VT in comparison to patients with PHVD who resolve without intervention. Additionally, since many patients who have an initial VT will require subsequent interventions, we look at the potential for US to determine which PHVD patients will require additional VT after the initial one has been performed.

  10. Relationship between Plaque Echo, Thickness and Neovascularization Assessed by Quantitative and Semi-quantitative Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography in Different Stenosis Groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Yan; Feng, Jun; Dang, Ying; Zhao, Chao; Zheng, Jie; Ruan, Litao

    2017-12-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between plaque echo, thickness and neovascularization in different stenosis groups using quantitative and semi-quantitative contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in patients with carotid atherosclerosis plaque. A total of 224 plaques were divided into mild stenosis (Quantitative and semi-quantitative methods were used to assess plaque neovascularization and determine the relationship between plaque echo, thickness and neovascularization. Correlation analysis revealed no relationship of neovascularization with plaque echo in the groups using either quantitative or semi-quantitative methods. Furthermore, there was no correlation of neovascularization with plaque thickness using the semi-quantitative method. The ratio of areas under the curve (RAUC) was negatively correlated with plaque thickness (r = -0.317, p = 0.001) in the mild stenosis group. With the quartile method, plaque thickness of the mild stenosis group was divided into four groups, with significant differences between the 1.5-2.2 mm and ≥3.5 mm groups (p = 0.002), 2.3-2.8 mm and ≥3.5 mm groups (p quantitative and quantitative CEUS methods characterizing neovascularization of plaque are equivalent with respect to assessing relationships between neovascularization, echogenicity and thickness. However, the quantitative method could fail for plaque <3.5 mm because of motion artifacts. Copyright © 2017 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Demonstration of movement in the sacroiliac joint using ultrasound

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krupinski, Elizabeth A.; Brooks, William J.; Lund, Pamela J.

    1995-05-01

    The goal of this study was to demonstrate quantitatively, using ultrasound (US) recording techniques, the extent of motion of the sacroiliac joint achieved using manual medicine techniques. Initial judgements of perceived (i.e., felt) SI mobility during manual examination were made on 22 subjects. Baseline no movement ultrasound images (static) were obtained of the left and right SI joints at two levels-- posterior-superior-iliac-spine and inferior (PSIS, INF)--and two projections (AP and LAT). Manual medicine spring testing of the SI joint was then performed while ultrasound recordings (on video) were made. The differences between baseline separation of the SI joint and displacement distance during spring testing were measured by six radiologists who typically read US images. Significant movement of at least one SI joint was demonstrated in 91% of the subjects using ultrasound recordings. The extent of movement appeared to corroborate the experience of manual medicine practitioners.

  12. Computer-assisted quantitative assessment of power Doppler US: effects of microbubble contrast agent in the differentiation of breast tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kettenbach, Joachim; Helbich, Thomas H.; Huber, Sabine; Zuna, Ivan; Dock, Wolfgang

    2005-01-01

    Rationale and objectives: To objectively quantify the effects of a microbubble contrast agent to differentiate breast tumors with power doppler ultrasound and to compare these results with color doppler ultrasound (CD US). Methods: In 47 patients a microbubble contrast agent was injected intravenously. Computer-assisted quantitative assessment of the color pixel density was performed to evaluate the increase in Doppler signals. Results were compared to previously published results of a color Doppler ultrasound study. Results: Peak color pixel density at contrast-enhanced power Doppler ultrasound was higher for carcinomas than for benign tumors (P < 0.03). Time to peak enhancement was shorter in carcinomas than in benign tumors (P < 0.01). For both parameters, diagnostic accuracy of power Doppler ultrasound was 69 and 78%, and for color Doppler ultrasound 62 and 76%, respectively. Conclusions: Quantitative assessment of contrast-enhanced power Doppler ultrasound showed significant differences in malignant and benign breast tumors. Diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced power Doppler ultrasound was higher compared to color Doppler ultrasound

  13. Ultrasound pregnancy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pregnancy sonogram; Obstetric ultrasonography; Obstetric sonogram; Ultrasound - pregnancy; IUGR - ultrasound; Intrauterine growth - ultrasound; Polyhydramnios - ultrasound; Oligohydramnios - ultrasound; ...

  14. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound for quantitative assessment of portal pressure in canine liver fibrosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhai, Lin; Qiu, Lan-Yan; Zu, Yuan; Yan, Yan; Ren, Xiao-Zhuan; Zhao, Jun-Feng; Liu, Yu-Jiang; Liu, Ji-Bin; Qian, Lin-Xue

    2015-04-21

    To explore the feasibility of non-invasive quantitative estimation of portal venous pressure by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in a canine model. Liver fibrosis was established in adult canines (Beagles; n = 14) by subcutaneous injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). CEUS parameters, including the area under the time-intensity curve and intensity at portal/arterial phases (Qp/Qa and Ip/Ia, respectively), were used to quantitatively assess the blood flow ratio of the portal vein/hepatic artery at multiple time points. The free portal venous pressures (FPP) were measured by a multi-channel baroreceptor using a percutaneous approach at baseline and 8, 16, and 24 wk after CCl4 injections in each canine. Liver biopsies were obtained at the end of 8, 16, and 24 wk from each animal, and the stage of the fibrosis was assessed according to the Metavir scoring system. A Pearson correlation test was performed to compare the FPP with Qp/Qa and Ip/Ia. Pathologic examination of 42 biopsies from the 14 canines at weeks 8, 16, and 24 revealed that liver fibrosis was induced by CCl4 and represented various stages of liver fibrosis, including F0 (n = 3), F1 (n = 12), F2 (n = 14), F3 (n = 11), and F4 (n = 2). There were significant differences in the measurements of Qp/Qa (19.85 ± 3.30 vs 10.43 ± 1.21, 9.63 ± 1.03, and 8.77 ± 0.96) and Ip/Ia (1.77 ± 0.37 vs 1.03 ± 0.12, 0.83 ± 0.10, and 0.69 ± 0.13) between control and canine fibrosis at 8, 16, and 24 wk, respectively (all P fibrosis model. Prediction of elevated FPP based on Qp/Qa and Ip/Ia was highly sensitive, as assessed by the area under the receiver operating curve (0.866 and 0.895, respectively). CEUS is a potential method to accurately, but non-invasively, estimate portal venous pressure through measurement of Qp/Qa and Ip/Ia parameters.

  15. An improved adaptive wavelet shrinkage for ultrasound despeckling

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Preservation Index (EPI). A comparison of the results shows that the proposed fil- ter achieves an improvement in terms of quantitative measures and in terms of visual quality of the images. Keywords. Wavelet; translation invariance; inter and intra scale dependency; speckle; adaptive thresholding; ultrasound images. ∗.

  16. Ultrasound elastography for imaging tendons and muscles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Drakonaki

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Ultrasound elastography is a recently developed ultrasound-based method which allows the qualitative or quantitative evaluation of the mechanical properties of tissue. Strain (compression ultrasound elastography is the commonest technique performed by ap‑ plying mild compression with the hand-held transducer to create real-time strain dis‑ tribution maps, which are color-coded and superimposed on the B-mode images. There is increasing evidence that ultrasound elastography can be used in the investigation of muscle, tendon and soft tissue disease in the clinical practice, as a supplementary tool to conventional ultrasound examination. Based on preliminary data, potential clinical appli‑ cations include early diagnosis, staging, and guiding interventions musculotendinous and neuromuscular disease as well as monitoring disease during rehabilitation. Ultrasound elastography could also be used for research into the biomechanics and pathophysiology of musculotendinous disease. Despite the great interest in the technique, there is still limited evidence in the literature and there are several technical issues which limit the reproducibility of the method, including differences in quantification methods, artefacts, limitations and variation in the application of the technique by different users. This re‑ view presents the published evidence on musculoskeletal applications of strain elastogra‑ phy, discusses the technical issues and future perspectives of this method and emphasizes the need for standardization and further research.

  17. Discrimination of hip fractures by quantitative ultrasound of the phalanges and the calcaneus and dual X-ray absorptiometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Damilakis, John; Papadokostakis, George; Perisinakis, Kostas; Maris, Thomas; Dimitriou, P.; Hadjipavlou, Alexander; Gourtsoyiannis, Nicholas

    2004-01-01

    The aim of the current study was to evaluate the ability of different techniques used for the assessment of bone status to discriminate between postmenopausal women with and without hip fracture. Fifty-one postmenopausal women (mean age 64.5±6.5) who had sustained a low energy hip fracture and 51 age-matched controls (mean age 64.6±6.0) were studied. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) assessment was carried out using the Ubis 3000 device capable of measuring broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and speed of sound at the calcaneus (SOS C ) and the Sunlight Omnisense device capable of estimating speed of sound at the phalanges (SOS P ). Femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed using dual X-ray absorptiometry. Correlations between QUS variables ranged from r=0.35 to 0.72 and between QUS variables and BMD from r=0.30 to 0.36. BMD was the best discriminator of hip fractures (odds ratio = 3.61, area under curve = 0.824). All QUS variables were significant discriminators of hip fractures with odds ratios ranging from 1.88 to 2.63 and areas under the ROC curves ranging from 0.663 to 0.740. Among the QUS variables, the SOS P showed the best odds ratio and area under curve. Comparison between the areas under the ROC curve did not show any significant difference between SOS P , BUA and BMD. On the contrary, the difference between SOS C and BMD was significant (P P , although the difference did not reach statistical significance

  18. Quantitative analysis of thyroid tumors vascularity: A comparison between 3-D contrast-enhanced ultrasound and 3-D Power Doppler on benign and malignant thyroid nodules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caresio, Cristina; Caballo, Marco; Deandrea, Maurilio; Garberoglio, Roberto; Mormile, Alberto; Rossetto, Ruth; Limone, Paolo; Molinari, Filippo

    2018-05-15

    To perform a comparative quantitative analysis of Power Doppler ultrasound (PDUS) and Contrast-Enhancement ultrasound (CEUS) for the quantification of thyroid nodules vascularity patterns, with the goal of identifying biomarkers correlated with the malignancy of the nodule with both imaging techniques. We propose a novel method to reconstruct the vascular architecture from 3-D PDUS and CEUS images of thyroid nodules, and to automatically extract seven quantitative features related to the morphology and distribution of vascular network. Features include three tortuosity metrics, the number of vascular trees and branches, the vascular volume density, and the main spatial vascularity pattern. Feature extraction was performed on 20 thyroid lesions (ten benign and ten malignant), of which we acquired both PDUS and CEUS. MANOVA (multivariate analysis of variance) was used to differentiate benign and malignant lesions based on the most significant features. The analysis of the extracted features showed a significant difference between the benign and malignant nodules for both PDUS and CEUS techniques for all the features. Furthermore, by using a linear classifier on the significant features identified by the MANOVA, benign nodules could be entirely separated from the malignant ones. Our early results confirm the correlation between the morphology and distribution of blood vessels and the malignancy of the lesion, and also show (at least for the dataset used in this study) a considerable similarity in terms of findings of PDUS and CEUS imaging for thyroid nodules diagnosis and classification. © 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  19. Surgical management of calcaneal unicameral bone cysts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glaser, D L; Dormans, J P; Stanton, R P; Davidson, R S

    1999-03-01

    Unicameral bone cysts are not seen commonly in the calcaneus. Little is known about the etiology and natural history of these lesions. Calcaneal cysts often are symptomatic, although some of these lesions are detected as incidental findings. Treatment has been advocated based on the fear of pathologic fracture and collapse. Several published series have been divided in their favor for either open treatment or injection management. These series are small, and the optimal treatment is still in question. The current study compared the efficacy of methylprednisolone acetate injection treatment with curettage and bone grafting in the treatment of unicameral bone cysts of the calcaneus. All patients treated for unicameral bone cysts of the calcaneus during the past 7 years at two institutions were reviewed. Eleven patients met inclusion criteria. All diagnoses were confirmed radiographically or histologically. Demographic information, presenting complaints, diagnostic imaging, treatment modalities, and outcome were analyzed. Long term radiographic and subjective followup was obtained. Eighteen surgical procedures were performed on 11 patients with 12 cysts. Nine injections performed on six patients failed to show healing of the cyst. Nine cysts treated with curettage and bone grafting showed cyst healing. At mean followup of 28 months (range, 12-77 months), all 11 patients had no symptoms; there were no recurrences of the cyst in the nine patients who underwent bone grafting and persistence of the cyst in the two patients who underwent injection therapy. This review reports one of the largest series of cysts in this location. The results indicate that steroid injection treatment, although useful in other locations, may not be the best option for the management of unicameral bone cysts in the calcaneus. Curettage and bone grafting yielded uniformly good results.

  20. Power and color Doppler ultrasound settings for inflammatory flow

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Torp-Pedersen, Søren; Christensen, Robin; Szkudlarek, Marcin

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To determine how settings for power and color Doppler ultrasound sensitivity vary on different high- and intermediate-range ultrasound machines and to evaluate the impact of these changes on Doppler scoring of inflamed joints. METHODS: Six different types of ultrasound machines were used....... On each machine, the factory setting for superficial musculoskeletal scanning was used unchanged for both color and power Doppler modalities. The settings were then adjusted for increased Doppler sensitivity, and these settings were designated study settings. Eleven patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA......) with wrist involvement were scanned on the 6 machines, each with 4 settings, generating 264 Doppler images for scoring and color quantification. Doppler sensitivity was measured with a quantitative assessment of Doppler activity: color fraction. Higher color fraction indicated higher sensitivity. RESULTS...

  1. Prostate Ultrasound

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Physician Resources Professions Site Index A-Z Ultrasound - Prostate Ultrasound of the prostate uses sound waves to ... Ultrasound Imaging? What is Ultrasound Imaging of the Prostate? Ultrasound is safe and painless, and produces pictures ...

  2. Quantitative ultrasound of the calcaneus with parametric imaging: correlation with bone mineral density at different sites and with anthropometric data in menopausal women

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Louis, O.; Kaufman, L.; Osteaux, M.

    2000-01-01

    Objective: To prospectively study the relationship of quantitative ultrasound of the calcaneus with anthromopometric variables and with bone mineral density (BMD) assessed at the level of the calcaneus as well as at other sites. Method: Osteosonography of the non-dominant calcaneus was performed in 135 menopausal women, using a DTU-one device with parametric imaging. Broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and speed of sound (SOS) were assessed. BMD of the calcaneus (BMDcal) was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), in a subregion matched with the region of interest for osteosonography. BMD of the lumbar trabecular bone was measured using quantitative computed tomography (BMD QCT) while the non-dominant hip was studied using DXA, which provided the total bone mineral density (BMDhip) and that of the Ward triangle (BMDWard). Results: The Pearson correlation coefficients between BUA, SOS and the various measurements of BMD ranged from 0.305 (SOS versus BMDhip) to 0.717 (BUA versus BMDcal). BMD QCT and BMDWard were found to depend on age, but not on weight or height, while BUA, SOS, BMDcal, BMDhip were unrelated to age, but correlated with weight (SOS, BMDhip) or with weight and height (BUA, BMDcal). In a multiple stepwise regression analysis, age was a significant predictor for BMD QCT, BMD hip and BMDWard; BMD QCT, BMDWard and BMDhip admitted BUA as sole predictor, while BMDcal was significantly related to both BUA and SOS. Conclusion: BUA and SOS of the calcaneus, assessed in 135 menopausal women using a parametric imaging device, reflected BMDcal, measured with DXA at a matched region of interest, and did not decline significantly with age

  3. Quantitative ultrasound of the calcaneus with parametric imaging: correlation with bone mineral density at different sites and with anthropometric data in menopausal women

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Louis, O.; Kaufman, L.; Osteaux, M

    2000-07-01

    Objective: To prospectively study the relationship of quantitative ultrasound of the calcaneus with anthromopometric variables and with bone mineral density (BMD) assessed at the level of the calcaneus as well as at other sites. Method: Osteosonography of the non-dominant calcaneus was performed in 135 menopausal women, using a DTU-one device with parametric imaging. Broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and speed of sound (SOS) were assessed. BMD of the calcaneus (BMDcal) was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), in a subregion matched with the region of interest for osteosonography. BMD of the lumbar trabecular bone was measured using quantitative computed tomography (BMD QCT) while the non-dominant hip was studied using DXA, which provided the total bone mineral density (BMDhip) and that of the Ward triangle (BMDWard). Results: The Pearson correlation coefficients between BUA, SOS and the various measurements of BMD ranged from 0.305 (SOS versus BMDhip) to 0.717 (BUA versus BMDcal). BMD QCT and BMDWard were found to depend on age, but not on weight or height, while BUA, SOS, BMDcal, BMDhip were unrelated to age, but correlated with weight (SOS, BMDhip) or with weight and height (BUA, BMDcal). In a multiple stepwise regression analysis, age was a significant predictor for BMD QCT, BMD hip and BMDWard; BMD QCT, BMDWard and BMDhip admitted BUA as sole predictor, while BMDcal was significantly related to both BUA and SOS. Conclusion: BUA and SOS of the calcaneus, assessed in 135 menopausal women using a parametric imaging device, reflected BMDcal, measured with DXA at a matched region of interest, and did not decline significantly with age.

  4. TEACHING PHYSICS: An experiment to demonstrate the principles and processes involved in medical Doppler ultrasound

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrews, D. G. H.

    2000-09-01

    Doppler ultrasound is widely used in medicine for measuring blood velocity. This paper describes an experiment illustrating the principles of medical Doppler ultrasound. It is designed with A-level/undergraduate physics students in mind. Ultrasound is transmitted in air and reflected from a moving target. The return signal is processed using a series of modules, so that students can discover for themselves how each stage in the instrument works. They can also obtain a quantitative value of the speed of the target.

  5. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... specific content. Related Articles and Media Sonohysterography Ultrasound - Abdomen Children's (Pediatric) Ultrasound - Abdomen Obstetric Ultrasound Ultrasound - Prostate Kidney and ...

  6. THE DIAGNOSTIC VALUE OF CLINICAL EXAMINATION AND ULTRASOUND STUDY OF ENTHESES FOR EARLY DETECTION OF PSORIATIC AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: REMARC STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatiana Viktorovna Korotaeva

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The diagnosis of enthesitis can help in differentiating early psoriatic arthritis (ePsA from early rheumatoid arthritis (eRA.Objective. To estimate the diagnostic value of detecting enthesitis during clinical examination and ultrasound in ePsA and eRA.Subjects and methods. The trial included 36 patients with ePsA and 33 with eRA. Entheses were evaluated using the Leeds Enthesitis Index (LEI: lateral humeral epicondyle and medial femoral condyle (MFC, Achilles tendon insertion site (ATAP, and plantar fascia (PF point on the right and on the left. Enthesitis (on ultrasound presented with thickening, reduced echo density, and vascularization at Doppler energy imaging. DAS, DAS28, SDAI, CDAI, M±SD, Me [25th, 75th percentile], t-test, Fisher's exact test, χ2test, U test, and Spearman correlation coefficients (R were calculated; the value p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results. Clinical examination revealed enthesitis in 41.6% of the patients with ePsA and in 39.4% of those with eRA (p >0.05. No significant differences were found between ePsA and eRA according to LEI (0.5 [0; 2] and 1 [0; 2] and to LEI+PF (1 [0; 2] and 1 [0; 2], respectively. Enthesitis of MFC and PF was significantly more frequently detected in ePsA than in eRA – 12 (33.3%/2 (6.1% and 10 (27.8%/2 (6.1% patients, respectively. In eRA versus ePsA, enthesitis of MFC was more frequently found (16 (48.4% and 8 (22.2% patients, respectively. Ultrasound revealed no significant differences between the groups in enthesitis. In ePsA, there was a significant correlation between DAS, DAS28, SDAI, CDAI, LEI, and LEI+PF.Conclusion. Enthesis ultrasound cannot differentiate ePsA from eRA. Clinical examination more frequently detects enthesitis in the knee joints in eRA and in the calcaneal region in ePsA.

  7. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Ultrasound - Abdomen Obstetric Ultrasound Ultrasound - Prostate Kidney and Bladder Stones Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding Ovarian Cancer Images related to Ultrasound - Pelvis Sponsored by Please ...

  8. Association between polymorphisms of apolipoprotein E, bone mineral density of the lower forearm, quantitative ultrasound of the calcaneus and osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women with hip or lower forearm fracture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sennels, Henriette Pia; Sand, J C; Madsen, B

    2003-01-01

    surgery and age-matched controls from the population register. The APOE genotypes of 327 women were studied: 73 with lower forearm fractures, 43 with hip fractures and 211 age-matched controls. The participants were not receiving antiosteoporotic treatment. Polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment...... are contradictory. The aim of this study was to examine the association between polymorphisms of APOE, BMD of the lower forearm, quantitative ultrasound of the calcaneus and osteoporotic fractures in a population of postmenopausal women with hip or lower forearm fractures admitted to a department of orthopaedic....... In conclusion, this study showed no association between bone mass parameters (BMD, speed of sound (SOS), broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA)), hip or lower forearm fracture and APOE genotypes in a population of postmenopausal women and age-matched controls....

  9. Enhanced ultrasound for advanced diagnostics, ultrasound tomography for volume limb imaging and prosthetic fitting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anthony, Brian W.

    2016-04-01

    Ultrasound imaging methods hold the potential to deliver low-cost, high-resolution, operator-independent and nonionizing imaging systems - such systems couple appropriate algorithms with imaging devices and techniques. The increasing demands on general practitioners motivate us to develop more usable and productive diagnostic imaging equipment. Ultrasound, specifically freehand ultrasound, is a low cost and safe medical imaging technique. It doesn't expose a patient to ionizing radiation. Its safety and versatility make it very well suited for the increasing demands on general practitioners, or for providing improved medical care in rural regions or the developing world. However it typically suffers from sonographer variability; we will discuss techniques to address user variability. We also discuss our work to combine cylindrical scanning systems with state of the art inversion algorithms to deliver ultrasound systems for imaging and quantifying limbs in 3-D in vivo. Such systems have the potential to track the progression of limb health at a low cost and without radiation exposure, as well as, improve prosthetic socket fitting. Current methods of prosthetic socket fabrication remain subjective and ineffective at creating an interface to the human body that is both comfortable and functional. Though there has been recent success using methods like magnetic resonance imaging and biomechanical modeling, a low-cost, streamlined, and quantitative process for prosthetic cup design and fabrication has not been fully demonstrated. Medical ultrasonography may inform the design process of prosthetic sockets in a more objective manner. This keynote talk presents the results of progress in this area.

  10. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Children's (Pediatric) Ultrasound - Abdomen Obstetric Ultrasound Ultrasound - Prostate Kidney and Bladder Stones Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding Ovarian Cancer Images related to Ultrasound - Pelvis Sponsored by Please ...

  11. Quantitative analysis of normal fetal medulla oblongata volume and flow by three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shyu, Ing-Luen; Wang, Peng-Hui; Chen, Chih-Yao; Chen, Yi-Jen; Chang, Chia-Ming; Horng, Huann-Cheng; Yang, Ming-Jie; Yen, Ming-Shyen

    2016-06-01

    Assessment of the fetal medulla oblongata volume (MOV) and blood flow might be important in the evaluation of fetal brain growth. We used three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound (3DPDUS) to assess the fetal MOV and blood flow index in normal gestation. The relationships between these parameters were further analyzed. We assessed the total volume and blood flow index of the fetal MO in normal pregnancies using a 3DPDUS (Voluson 730 Expert). The true sagittal plane over the fetal occipital area was measured by a 3D transabdominal probe to scan the fetal MO under the power Doppler mode. Then, we quantitatively assessed the total volume of the fetal MOV, mean gray area (MG), vascularization index (VI), and flow index (FI). A total of 106 fetuses, ranging from 19 weeks to 39 weeks of gestation, were involved in our study. The volume of the fetal MO was highly positively correlated with gestational age [correlation coefficient (r) = 0.686, p < 0.0001]. The MG was negatively correlated with gestational age [r = -0.544, p < 0.0001). VI and FI showed no significant correlation with gestational age (p = 0.123 and p = 0.219, respectively). 3DPDUS can be used to assess the fetal MOV and blood flow development quantitatively. Our study indicated that fetal MOV and blood flow correlated significantly with the advancement of gestational age. This information may serve as reference data for further studies of the fetal brain and blood flow under abnormal conditions. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  12. Prehospital Ultrasound

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jen-Tang Sun

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Ultrasound is a commonly used diagnostic tool in clinical conditions. With recent developments in technology, use of portable ultrasound devices has become feasible in prehospital settings. Many studies also proved the feasibility and accuracy of prehospital ultrasound. In this article, we focus on the use of prehospital ultrasound, with emphasis on trauma and chest ultrasound.

  13. TH-A-207B-02: QIBA Ultrasound Elasticity Imaging System Biomarker Qualification and User Testing of Systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garra, B.

    2016-01-01

    Imaging of tissue elastic properties is a relatively new and powerful approach to one of the oldest and most important diagnostic tools. Imaging of shear wave speed with ultrasound is has been added to most high-end ultrasound systems. Understanding this exciting imaging mode aiding its most effective use in medicine can be a rewarding effort for medical physicists and other medical imaging and treatment professionals. Assuring consistent, quantitative measurements across the many ultrasound systems in a typical imaging department will constitute a major step toward realizing the great potential of this technique and other quantitative imaging. This session will target these two goals with two presentations. A. Basics and Current Implementations of Ultrasound Imaging of Shear Wave Speed and Elasticity - Shigao Chen, Ph.D. Learning objectives-To understand: Introduction: Importance of tissue elasticity measurement Strain vs. shear wave elastography (SWE), beneficial features of SWE The link between shear wave speed and material properties, influence of viscosity Generation of shear waves External vibration (Fibroscan) ultrasound radiation force Point push Supersonic push (Aixplorer) Comb push (GE Logiq E9) Detection of shear waves Motion detection from pulse-echo ultrasound Importance of frame rate for shear wave imaging Plane wave imaging detection How to achieve high effective frame rate using line-by-line scanners Shear wave speed calculation Time to peak Random sample consensus (RANSAC) Cross correlation Sources of bias and variation in SWE Tissue viscosity Transducer compression or internal pressure of organ Reflection of shear waves at boundaries B. Elasticity Imaging System Biomarker Qualification and User Testing of Systems – Brian Garra, M.D. Learning objectives-To understand: Goals Review the need for quantitative medical imaging Provide examples of quantitative imaging biomarkers Acquaint the participant with the purpose of the RSNA Quantitative Imaging

  14. TH-A-207B-02: QIBA Ultrasound Elasticity Imaging System Biomarker Qualification and User Testing of Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garra, B. [FDA, Silver Spring, MD (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Imaging of tissue elastic properties is a relatively new and powerful approach to one of the oldest and most important diagnostic tools. Imaging of shear wave speed with ultrasound is has been added to most high-end ultrasound systems. Understanding this exciting imaging mode aiding its most effective use in medicine can be a rewarding effort for medical physicists and other medical imaging and treatment professionals. Assuring consistent, quantitative measurements across the many ultrasound systems in a typical imaging department will constitute a major step toward realizing the great potential of this technique and other quantitative imaging. This session will target these two goals with two presentations. A. Basics and Current Implementations of Ultrasound Imaging of Shear Wave Speed and Elasticity - Shigao Chen, Ph.D. Learning objectives-To understand: Introduction: Importance of tissue elasticity measurement Strain vs. shear wave elastography (SWE), beneficial features of SWE The link between shear wave speed and material properties, influence of viscosity Generation of shear waves External vibration (Fibroscan) ultrasound radiation force Point push Supersonic push (Aixplorer) Comb push (GE Logiq E9) Detection of shear waves Motion detection from pulse-echo ultrasound Importance of frame rate for shear wave imaging Plane wave imaging detection How to achieve high effective frame rate using line-by-line scanners Shear wave speed calculation Time to peak Random sample consensus (RANSAC) Cross correlation Sources of bias and variation in SWE Tissue viscosity Transducer compression or internal pressure of organ Reflection of shear waves at boundaries B. Elasticity Imaging System Biomarker Qualification and User Testing of Systems – Brian Garra, M.D. Learning objectives-To understand: Goals Review the need for quantitative medical imaging Provide examples of quantitative imaging biomarkers Acquaint the participant with the purpose of the RSNA Quantitative Imaging

  15. Muscle ultrasound quantifies disease progression over time in infants and young boys with duchenne muscular dystrophy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaidman, Craig M; Malkus, Elizabeth C; Connolly, Anne M

    2015-09-01

    Quantitative muscle ultrasound (QUS) in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) shows increased echointensity as muscle is replaced with fat and fibrosis. Studies of quantitative ultrasound in infants/young boys with DMD over time have not been reported. We used calibrated muscle backscatter (cMB), a reproducible measure of ultrasound echointensity, to quantify muscle pathology in 5 young boys with DMD (ages 0.5-2.8 years) over 17-29 months. We compared the results with repeated assessments of function (n = 4) and with muscle ultrasound images from a cross-section of 6 male controls (0.6-3.1 years). cMB in boys with DMD increased (worsened) over time (P < 0.001), whereas function improved. After age 2 years, cMB in most (4 of 5) boys with DMD was higher than in any control. QUS measures disease progression in young boys with DMD despite functional improvements. QUS could be employed as an outcome measure for serial assessment of young boys with DMD. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Ultrasound - Pelvis Ultrasound imaging of the pelvis uses sound waves to produce pictures of the structures and ... pictures of the inside of the body using sound waves. Ultrasound imaging, also called ultrasound scanning or ...

  17. Prostate Ultrasound

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... ultrasound or with a rectal examination, an ultrasound-guided biopsy can be performed. This procedure involves advancing ... of the Prostate) Prostate Cancer Ultrasound- and MRI-Guided Prostate Biopsy Images related to Ultrasound - Prostate Sponsored ...

  18. Prostate Ultrasound

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Z Ultrasound - Prostate Ultrasound of the prostate uses sound waves to produce pictures of a man’s prostate ... pictures of the inside of the body using sound waves. Ultrasound imaging, also called ultrasound scanning or ...

  19. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... endometrial polyps fibroids cancer, especially in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding Some physicians also use 3-D ultrasound or ... Obstetric Ultrasound Ultrasound - Prostate Kidney and Bladder Stones Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding Ovarian Cancer Images related to Ultrasound - Pelvis Sponsored ...

  20. The effect of sports activities in children and adolescents on the calcaneus - an investigation with quantitative ultrasound; Einfluss sportlicher Aktivitaet von Kindern und Jugendlichen auf den Kalkaneus - Eine Untersuchung mit quantitativem Ultraschall

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mentzel, H.J.; Malich, A.; Boettcher, J.; Vogt, S.; Kaiser, W.A. [Inst. fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Klinikum der Friedrich-Schiller-Univ., Jena (Germany); Wuensche, K. [Rontgenavdelingen, HNT Sykehuset Namsos (Norway)

    2005-04-01

    Purpose: To determine whether quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters speed of sound (SOS) and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) on the calcaneus are different between athletic children and a reference population. Patients and Methods: From a college of physical education, 177 children and adolescents (121 boys and 56 girls, age range from 11 to 18 years) were included in this study. QUS was performed on the calcaneus using the Sahara trademark device (Hologic, USA). SOS and BUA were estimated. Regional reference values of 3299 children were used to determine significant differences between athletes and reference population. The influence of activity level, age, height, and weight was estimated using correlation analysis. Results: Sportsmen showed significant (p<0.05) higher values of the QUS parameters (SOS 1581.1 m/s; BUA 69.7 dB/MHz) compared to the reference data (SOS 1563.9 m/s; BUA 64.2 dB/MHz). Significant correlation was observed between BUA and the level of activity, age, weight, and height (p<0.01) and between SOS and weight and height (p<0.05). In the group of soccer players and athletes, significant correlation was found between BUA vs. age and BUA vs. weight (p<0.05). Furthermore, significant correlation was observed between BUA vs. age and weight in Judokas and Wrestlers. For the level of activity, a significant correlation to BUA was only found in the group of Judokas and Wrestlers (p<0.01). Conclusion: An increase in quantitative ultrasound parameters on the calcaneus occurs in children and adolescents with increased physical activity. (orig.)

  1. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... endometrial polyps fibroids cancer, especially in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding Some physicians also use 3-D ultrasound or ... Obstetric Ultrasound Ultrasound - Prostate Kidney and Bladder Stones Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding Ovarian Cancer Images related to Ultrasound - Pelvis Sponsored ...

  2. [Calcaneal fractures treated by open reduction and internal fixation with a locking compression plate (LCP). A prospective study. part I: basic analysis of the group].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Svatoš, F; Bartoška, R; Skála-Rosenbaum, J; Douša, P; Pacovský, V; Krbec, M

    2011-01-01

    In a prospective study of patients with calcaneal fractures treated by open reduction from an extensile lateral approach and LCP osteosynthesis, the authors evaluated the basic epidemiological data, mechanism of injury, type of fracture, essential data on surgery, days of hospital stay and the number of complications. In the period from September 1, 2006 to July 31, 2010, a total of 230 patients with 243 calcaneal fractures were treated. The fractures were classified as either open or closed and according to the Essex-Lopresti system. Of the total number of patients, 135 (55.6 % of all fractures) were indicated for conservative treatment and 108 (44.4% of all fractures) for surgical intervention. Indications for surgery based on the generally accepted criteria enabled us to select 77 patients with 82 fractures (33.7 % of all fractures) for treatment by the method of open reduction and LCP osteosynthesis. These patients constituted the group evaluated here. The other patients were treated using other techniques (21 fractures, i.e., 8.6 % of all fractures, by the Stehlík-Štulík transfixation method and further five [2.1 %] by screw osteosynthesis). Six surgeons were involved in the treatment of this group. For the diagnosis of fractures, plain radiographs in lateral and axial projection and axial and coronal CT images were used. All fractures were treated after subsidence of oedema by the method of open reduction and LCP fixation from an extensile lateral approach, with the use of a tourniquet. The follow-up period for the evaluation of functional outcome and bone union was 3 to 48 months. Fifty patients were followed up for over one year. The group evaluated comprised 58 men (75.3 %) with 63 fractures (76.8 %) and 19 women (24.7 %) with 19 fractures (23.2 %). The average age of the group was 42 years, with 41 years (range, 22-61 years) in men and 47 years (range, 30-70 years) in women. The most frequent cause of injury was a fall from a height below 1 metre and

  3. 3D quantitative breast ultrasound analysis for differentiating fibroadenomas and carcinomas smaller than 1 cm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meel-van den Abeelen, A.S.S., E-mail: aisha.vandenabeelen@radboudumc.nl [Department of Biomechanical Engineering, MIRA-Institute, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Medical UltraSound Imaging Center (MUSIC), department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen (Netherlands); Weijers, G. [Medical UltraSound Imaging Center (MUSIC), department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen (Netherlands); Zelst, J.C.M. van [Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen (Netherlands); Thijssen, J.M. [Medical UltraSound Imaging Center (MUSIC), department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen (Netherlands); Mann, R.M. [Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen (Netherlands); Korte, C.L. de [Medical UltraSound Imaging Center (MUSIC), department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen (Netherlands)

    2017-03-15

    Purpose: In (3D) ultrasound, accurate discrimination of small solid masses is difficult, resulting in a high frequency of biopsies for benign lesions. In this study, we investigate whether 3D quantitative breast ultrasound (3DQBUS) analysis can be used for improving non-invasive discrimination between benign and malignant lesions. Methods and materials: 3D US studies of 112 biopsied solid breast lesions (size <1 cm), were included (34 fibroadenomas and 78 invasive ductal carcinomas). The lesions were manually delineated and, based on sonographic criteria used by radiologists, 3 regions of interest were defined in 3D for analysis: ROI (ellipsoid covering the inside of the lesion), PER (peritumoural surrounding: 0.5 mm around the lesion), and POS (posterior-tumoural acoustic phenomena: region below the lesion with the same size as delineated for the lesion). After automatic gain correction (AGC), the mean and standard deviation of the echo level within the regions were calculated. For the ROI and POS also the residual attenuation coefficient was estimated in decibel per cm [dB/cm]. The resulting eight features were used for classification of the lesions by a logistic regression analysis. The classification accuracy was evaluated by leave-one-out cross-validation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to assess the performance of the classification. All lesions were delineated by two readers and results were compared to assess the effect of the manual delineation. Results: The area under the ROC curve was 0.86 for both readers. At 100% sensitivity, a specificity of 26% and 50% was achieved for reader 1 and 2, respectively. Inter-reader variability in lesion delineation was marginal and did not affect the accuracy of the technique. The area under the ROC curve of 0.86 was reached for the second reader when the results of the first reader were used as training set yielding a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 40%. Consequently, 3DQBUS

  4. 3D quantitative breast ultrasound analysis for differentiating fibroadenomas and carcinomas smaller than 1 cm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meel-van den Abeelen, A.S.S.; Weijers, G.; Zelst, J.C.M. van; Thijssen, J.M.; Mann, R.M.; Korte, C.L. de

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: In (3D) ultrasound, accurate discrimination of small solid masses is difficult, resulting in a high frequency of biopsies for benign lesions. In this study, we investigate whether 3D quantitative breast ultrasound (3DQBUS) analysis can be used for improving non-invasive discrimination between benign and malignant lesions. Methods and materials: 3D US studies of 112 biopsied solid breast lesions (size <1 cm), were included (34 fibroadenomas and 78 invasive ductal carcinomas). The lesions were manually delineated and, based on sonographic criteria used by radiologists, 3 regions of interest were defined in 3D for analysis: ROI (ellipsoid covering the inside of the lesion), PER (peritumoural surrounding: 0.5 mm around the lesion), and POS (posterior-tumoural acoustic phenomena: region below the lesion with the same size as delineated for the lesion). After automatic gain correction (AGC), the mean and standard deviation of the echo level within the regions were calculated. For the ROI and POS also the residual attenuation coefficient was estimated in decibel per cm [dB/cm]. The resulting eight features were used for classification of the lesions by a logistic regression analysis. The classification accuracy was evaluated by leave-one-out cross-validation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to assess the performance of the classification. All lesions were delineated by two readers and results were compared to assess the effect of the manual delineation. Results: The area under the ROC curve was 0.86 for both readers. At 100% sensitivity, a specificity of 26% and 50% was achieved for reader 1 and 2, respectively. Inter-reader variability in lesion delineation was marginal and did not affect the accuracy of the technique. The area under the ROC curve of 0.86 was reached for the second reader when the results of the first reader were used as training set yielding a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 40%. Consequently, 3DQBUS

  5. A review of computer-based simulators for ultrasound training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blum, Tobias; Rieger, Andreas; Navab, Nassir; Friess, Helmut; Martignoni, Marc

    2013-04-01

    Computer-based simulators for ultrasound training are a topic of recent interest. During the last 15 years, many different systems and methods have been proposed. This article provides an overview and classification of systems in this domain and a discussion of their advantages. Systems are classified and discussed according to the image simulation method, user interactions and medical applications. Computer simulation of ultrasound has one key advantage over traditional training. It enables novel training concepts, for example, through advanced visualization, case databases, and automatically generated feedback. Qualitative evaluations have mainly shown positive learning effects. However, few quantitative evaluations have been performed and long-term effects have to be examined.

  6. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Radiation Therapy for Gynecologic Cancers Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer top of page This page was reviewed on ... Abdomen Children's (Pediatric) Ultrasound - Abdomen Obstetric Ultrasound Ultrasound - Prostate Kidney and Bladder Stones Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding ... Images related to Ultrasound - Pelvis Sponsored by Please ...

  7. TH-A-207B-01: Basics and Current Implementations of Ultrasound Imaging of Shear Wave Speed and Elasticity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, S.

    2016-01-01

    Imaging of tissue elastic properties is a relatively new and powerful approach to one of the oldest and most important diagnostic tools. Imaging of shear wave speed with ultrasound is has been added to most high-end ultrasound systems. Understanding this exciting imaging mode aiding its most effective use in medicine can be a rewarding effort for medical physicists and other medical imaging and treatment professionals. Assuring consistent, quantitative measurements across the many ultrasound systems in a typical imaging department will constitute a major step toward realizing the great potential of this technique and other quantitative imaging. This session will target these two goals with two presentations. A. Basics and Current Implementations of Ultrasound Imaging of Shear Wave Speed and Elasticity - Shigao Chen, Ph.D. Learning objectives-To understand: Introduction: Importance of tissue elasticity measurement Strain vs. shear wave elastography (SWE), beneficial features of SWE The link between shear wave speed and material properties, influence of viscosity Generation of shear waves External vibration (Fibroscan) ultrasound radiation force Point push Supersonic push (Aixplorer) Comb push (GE Logiq E9) Detection of shear waves Motion detection from pulse-echo ultrasound Importance of frame rate for shear wave imaging Plane wave imaging detection How to achieve high effective frame rate using line-by-line scanners Shear wave speed calculation Time to peak Random sample consensus (RANSAC) Cross correlation Sources of bias and variation in SWE Tissue viscosity Transducer compression or internal pressure of organ Reflection of shear waves at boundaries B. Elasticity Imaging System Biomarker Qualification and User Testing of Systems – Brian Garra, M.D. Learning objectives-To understand: Goals Review the need for quantitative medical imaging Provide examples of quantitative imaging biomarkers Acquaint the participant with the purpose of the RSNA Quantitative Imaging

  8. TH-A-207B-01: Basics and Current Implementations of Ultrasound Imaging of Shear Wave Speed and Elasticity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, S. [Mayo Clinic (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Imaging of tissue elastic properties is a relatively new and powerful approach to one of the oldest and most important diagnostic tools. Imaging of shear wave speed with ultrasound is has been added to most high-end ultrasound systems. Understanding this exciting imaging mode aiding its most effective use in medicine can be a rewarding effort for medical physicists and other medical imaging and treatment professionals. Assuring consistent, quantitative measurements across the many ultrasound systems in a typical imaging department will constitute a major step toward realizing the great potential of this technique and other quantitative imaging. This session will target these two goals with two presentations. A. Basics and Current Implementations of Ultrasound Imaging of Shear Wave Speed and Elasticity - Shigao Chen, Ph.D. Learning objectives-To understand: Introduction: Importance of tissue elasticity measurement Strain vs. shear wave elastography (SWE), beneficial features of SWE The link between shear wave speed and material properties, influence of viscosity Generation of shear waves External vibration (Fibroscan) ultrasound radiation force Point push Supersonic push (Aixplorer) Comb push (GE Logiq E9) Detection of shear waves Motion detection from pulse-echo ultrasound Importance of frame rate for shear wave imaging Plane wave imaging detection How to achieve high effective frame rate using line-by-line scanners Shear wave speed calculation Time to peak Random sample consensus (RANSAC) Cross correlation Sources of bias and variation in SWE Tissue viscosity Transducer compression or internal pressure of organ Reflection of shear waves at boundaries B. Elasticity Imaging System Biomarker Qualification and User Testing of Systems – Brian Garra, M.D. Learning objectives-To understand: Goals Review the need for quantitative medical imaging Provide examples of quantitative imaging biomarkers Acquaint the participant with the purpose of the RSNA Quantitative Imaging

  9. Quantitative ultrasound of the hand phalanges in a cohort of monozygotic twins: influence of genetic and environmental factors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guglielmi, G. [Scientific Institute Hospital, Department of Radiology, San Giovanni Rotondo (Italy); Terlizzi, F. de [IGEA Biophysics Lab, Carpi (Italy); Torrente, I.; Mingarelli, R. [Mendel Institute, Rome (Italy); Dallapiccola, B. [Scientific Institute Hospital, Department of Radiology, San Giovanni Rotondo (Italy); Mendel Institute, Rome (Italy)

    2005-11-01

    Our objective was to evaluate the similarities and differences in bone mass and structure between pairs of monozygotic twins as measured by means of the quantitative ultrasound (QUS) technique. A cohort of monozygotic twins was measured by QUS of the hand phalanges using the DBM sonic bone profiler (IGEA, Carpi, Italy). The parameters studied were amplitude-dependent speed of sound (AD-SoS), ultrasound bone profile index (UBPI), signal dynamics (SDy) and bone transmission time (BTT). Linear correlation coefficients, multivariate linear analysis and the ANOVA test were used to assess intrapair associations between variables and to determine which factors influence the intrapair differences in QUS variables. One hundred and six pairs of monozygotic twins were enrolled in the study, 68 females and 38 males in the age range 5 to 71 years. Significant intrapair correlations were obtained in the whole population and separately for males and females, regarding height (r =0.98-0.99, p <0.0001), weight (r =0.95-0.96, p <0.0001), AD-SoS (r =0.90-0.92, p <0.0001), BTT (r =0.94-0.95, p <0.0001) and other QUS parameters (r >0.74, p <0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that intrapair differences between AD-SoS, SDy, UBPI and BTT are significantly influenced by age in the whole population and in the female population. Furthermore, the ANOVA test showed, for the female group, a significant increase in the intrapair differences in SDy and UBPI above 40 years. A relative contribution of genetic factors to skeletal status could be observed by phalangeal QUS measurement in monozygotic twins. A significant increase in the intrapair difference in QUS parameters with increasing age and onset of menopause also suggests the importance of environmental factors in the female twin population. (orig.)

  10. Normal values for quantitative muscle ultrasonography in adults.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Arts, I.M.P.; Pillen, S.; Schelhaas, H.J.; Overeem, S.; Zwarts, M.J.

    2010-01-01

    Ultrasonography can detect structural muscle changes caused by neuromuscular disease. Quantitative analysis is the preferred method to determine if ultrasound findings are within normal limits, but normative data are incomplete. The purpose of this study was to provide normative muscle

  11. Heel quantitative ultrasound in HIV-infected patients: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinzone, Marilia Rita; Castronuovo, Daniela; Di Gregorio, Adriana; Celesia, Benedetto Maurizio; Gussio, Maria; Borderi, Marco; Maggi, Paolo; Santoro, Carmen Rita; Madeddu, Giordano; Cacopardo, Bruno; Nunnari, Giuseppe

    2016-04-01

    HIV infection has been associated with increased risk of osteoporosis and fragility fractures. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the reference standard to assess bone mineral density (BMD); however, it is not easily accessible in several settings. Heel Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is a radiation-free, easy-to-perform technique, which may help reducing the need for DXA. In this cross-sectional study, we used heel QUS (Hologic Sahara(®)) to assess bone status in a cohort of HIV-infected patients. A QUS stiffness index (QUI) threshold >83 was used to identify patients with a low likelihood of osteoporosis. Moreover, we compared QUS results with those of 36 sex- and age-matched HIV-negative controls. 244 HIV-positive patients were enrolled. Median heel QUI value was 83 (73-96) vs. 93 (IQR 84-104) in the control group (p = 0.04). 110 patients (45 %) had a QUI value ≤83. Risk factors for low QUI values were age (OR 1.04 per year, 95 % CI 1.01-1.07, p = 0.004), current use of protease inhibitors (OR 1.85, CI 1.03-3.35, p = 0.039), current use of tenofovir (OR 2.28, CI 1.22-4.27, p = 0.009) and the number of risk factors for secondary osteoporosis (OR 1.46, CI 1.09-1.95, p = 0.01). Of note, QUI values were significantly correlated with FRAX score (r = -0.22, p = 0.004). According to EACS guidelines, 45 % of patients had risk factors for osteoporosis which make them eligible for DXA. By using QUS, we may avoid DXA in around half of them. As HIV-positive patients are living longer, the prevalence of osteoporosis is expected to increase over time. Appropriate screening, prevention and treatment are crucial to preserve bone health in this population. The use of screening techniques, such as heel QUS, may help reducing the need for DXA. Further studies are needed to define the diagnostic accuracy of this promising technique in the setting of HIV.

  12. [Bone ultrasonography in kidney disease: applications and limitations].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aucella, Filippo; Gesuete, Antonio; Cicchella, Antonio; Granata, Antonio; Fiorini, Fulvio; Guglielmi, Giuseppe

    2012-01-01

    Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) of the bone is a technique that is generating great interest among bone structure researchers because of its intrinsic features. Its safety and low cost make it an ideal technique for repeated measurements over time such as in chronic disease or when it is necessary to monitor the effects of prescribed therapies. The method was developed for the study of osteoporosis and the sites of measurement are all peripheral, including the distal diaphyses and metaphyses of the phalanges, calcaneus, radius and tibia. QUS parameters, however, cannot be used directly for the diagnosis of osteoporosis according to the WHO criteria, although many authors have shown that ultrasound parameters, particularly those of calcaneal QUS, can predict the risk of osteoporotic fractures independently of MBD. Very promising results with the use of QUS have been obtained in corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Cushing's syndrome, cystic fibrosis, osteomalacia, thalassemia and osteopenia related to parenteral nutrition. QUS can also monitor the effectiveness of therapy in various pathological conditions. In nephrology the combined use of phalangeal QUS and biochemical markers of bone turnover allows adequate follow-up of patients on dialysis and renal transplant recipients with alterations or disorders of the bone.

  13. [Clinical application and optimization of HEAD-US quantitative ultrasound assessment scale for hemophilic arthropathy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, J; Guo, X J; Ding, X L; Lyu, B M; Xiao, J; Sun, Q L; Li, D S; Zhang, W F; Zhou, J C; Li, C P; Yang, R C

    2018-02-14

    Objective: To assess the feasibility of HEAD-US scale in the clinical application of hemophilic arthropathy (HA) and propose an optimized ultrasound scoring system. Methods: From July 2015 to August 2017, 1 035 joints ultrasonographic examinations were performed in 91 patients. Melchiorre, HEAD-US (Hemophilic Early Arthropathy Detection with UltraSound) and HEAD-US-C (HEAD-US in China) scale scores were used respectively to analyze the results. The correlations between three ultrasound scales and Hemophilia Joint Health Scores (HJHS) were evaluated. The sensitivity differences of the above Ultrasonic scoring systems in evaluation of HA were compared. Results: All the 91 patients were male, with median age of 16 (4-55) years old, including 86 cases of hemophilia A and 5 cases hemophilia B. The median ( P 25 , P 75 ) of Melchiorre, HEAD-US and HEAD-US-C scores of 1 035 joints were 2(0,6), 1(0,5) and 2(0,6), respectively, and the correlation coefficients compared with HJHS was 0.747, 0.762 and 0.765 respectively, with statistical significance ( P cases of asymptomatic joints, the positive rates of Melchiorre, HEAD-US-C and HEAD-US scale score were 25.0% (95% CI 20.6%-29.6%), 17.0% (95% CI 12.6%-21.1%) and 11.9% (95% CI 8.4%-15.7%) respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( P joints of 40 patients. The difference in variation amplitude of HEAD-US-C scores and HEAD-US scores before and after joint bleeding was statistically significant ( P <0.001). Conclusion: Compared with Melchiorre, there were similar good correlations between HEAD-US, HEAD-US-C and HJHS. HEAD-US ultrasound scoring system is quick, convenient and simple to use. The optimized HEAD-US-C scale score is more sensitive than HEAD-US, especially for patients with HA who have subclinical state, which make up for insufficiency of sensitivity in HEAD-US scoring system.

  14. Noncontact ultrasound imaging applied to cortical bone phantoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bulman, J B; Ganezer, K S; Halcrow, P W; Neeson, Ian

    2012-06-01

    The purpose of this paper was to take the first steps toward applying noncontact ultrasound (NCU) to the tasks of monitoring osteoporosis and quantitative ultrasound imaging (QUS) of cortical bone. The authors also focused on the advantages of NCU, such as its lack of reliance on a technologist to apply transducers and a layer of acoustical coupling gel, the ability of the transducers to operate autonomously as specified by preprogrammed software, and the likely reduction in statistical and systematic errors associated with the variability in the pressure applied by the clinician to the transmitting transducer that NCU might provide. The authors also undertook this study in order to find additional applications of NCU beyond its past limited usage in assessing the severity of third degree burns. A noncontact ultrasound imaging system using a pair of specially designed broadband, 1.5 MHz noncontact piezoelectric transducers and cortical bone phantoms, were used to determine bone mineral density (BMD), speed of sound (SOS), integrated response (IR), and ultrasonic transmittance. Air gaps of greater than 3 cm, two transmission and two reflection paths, and a digital signal processor were also used in the collection of data from phantoms of nominal mass densities that varied from 1.17 to 2.25 g/cm(3) and in bone mineral density from 0 to 1.7 g/cm(3). Good correlations between known BMD and measured SOS, IR, and transmittance were obtained for all 17 phantoms, and methods for quantifying and minimizing sources of systematic errors were outlined. The BMD of the phantom sets extended through most of the in vivo range found in cortical bone. A total of 16-20 repeated measurements of the SOS, thickness, and IR for the phantom set that were conducted over a period of several months showed a small variation in the range of measurements of ±1%-2%. These NCU data were shown to be in agreement with similar results using contact ultrasound to be within 1%-2%. Transmittance

  15. General Ultrasound Imaging

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... inserted into a man's rectum to view the prostate. Transvaginal ultrasound. The transducer is inserted into a ... Stenting Ultrasound-Guided Breast Biopsy Obstetric Ultrasound Ultrasound - Prostate Biopsies - Overview Images related to General Ultrasound Videos ...

  16. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... News Physician Resources Professions Site Index A-Z General Ultrasound Ultrasound imaging uses sound waves to produce ... the limitations of General Ultrasound Imaging? What is General Ultrasound Imaging? Ultrasound is safe and painless, and ...

  17. An Overview of the Percutaneous Antibiotic Delivery Technique for Osteomyelitis Treatment and a Case Study of Calcaneal Osteomyelitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karr, Jeffrey C

    2017-11-01

    A percutaneous antibiotic delivery technique (PAD-T) used for the adjunctive management of osteomyelitis is presented. This surgical technique incorporates a calcium sulfate and hydroxyapatite (calcium phosphate) bone void filler acting as a carrier vehicle with either an antibiotic or an antifungal medicine, delivering this combination directly into the area of osteomyelitis. The benefit of the PAD-T is reviewed with a case presentation of a successfully treated calcaneal osteomyelitis. No previously reported PAD-T using a simple bone cortex incision in the adjunctive treatment of osteomyelitis has been reported. The PAD-T safely and effectively uses a calcium sulfate and hydroxyapatite bone void filler carrier vehicle to deliver either an antibiotic or an antifungal medicine directly into the area of osteomyelitis.

  18. Noninvasive Evaluation of Injectable Chitosan/Nano-Hydroxyapatite/Collagen Scaffold via Ultrasound

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Chen

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available To meet the challenges of designing an in situ forming scaffold and regenerating bone with complex three-dimensional (3D structures, an in situ forming hydrogel scaffold based on nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA, collagen (Col, and chitosan (CS was synthesized. Currently, only a limited number of techniques are available to mediate and visualize the injection process of the injectable biomaterials directly and noninvasively. In this study, the potential of ultrasound for the quantitative in vivo evaluation of tissue development in CS/nHAC scaffold was evaluated. The CS/nHAC scaffold was injected into rat subcutaneous tissue and evaluated for 28 days. Quantitative measurements of the gray-scale value, volume, and blood flow of the scaffold were evaluated using diagnostic technique. This study demonstrates that ultrasound can be used to noninvasively and nondestructively monitor and evaluate the in vivo characteristics of injectable bone scaffold. In comparison to the CS, the CS/nHAC scaffold showed a greater stiffness, less degradation rate, and better blood supply in the in vivo evaluation. In conclusion, the diagnostic ultrasound method is a good tool to evaluate the in vivo formation of injectable bone scaffolds and facilitates the broad use to monitor tissue development and remodeling in bone tissue engineering.

  19. Prostate Ultrasound

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... through blood vessels. Ultrasound imaging is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. Prostate ultrasound, also called transrectal ultrasound, provides ...

  20. Prevalence of low bone health using quantitative ultrasound in Indian women aged 41-60 years: Its association with nutrition and other related risk factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shenoy, Shweta; Chawla, Jasmine Kaur; Gupta, Swati; Sandhu, Jaspal Singh

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to find the prevalence of low bone health conditions and assess associated nutritional and other risk factors in Indian women aged 41-60 years. A total of 1,911 women participated in this cross-sectional study. Bone health was assessed using an Omnisense multisite quantitative ultrasound bone densitometer on two sites (radius and tibia). Crude prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis was found to be 30.09% and 19.89%, respectively. The Indian women were deficient in a majority of nutrients. Postmenopause, hysterectomy, hyperthyroid, hypothyroid, hypertension, low physical activity, low sun exposure, high stress levels, and low calcium levels were found to be independent risk factors of low bone health.

  1. Quantitative Analysis of Face and Neck Skin Tightening by Microfocused Ultrasound With Visualization in Asians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Pei-Hsuan; Yang, Chih-Hsun; Chang, Ya-Ching

    2017-11-01

    Previous studies of microfocused ultrasound with visualization (MFU-V) on facial and neck laxity were largely based on masked physician assessments, histological analysis, and safety profile. More quantitative studies are needed. To evaluate the 800 treatment lines of MFU-V on skin tightening effect of face and neck in Asians using 2 quantitative analysis systems at 0, 90, and 180 days after treatment. Total 25 subjects were recruited in this prospective study. Subjects were treated with MFU-V to the face and neck using 2 different transducers: 4 MHz, 4.5-mm focal depth and 7 MHz, 3.0-mm focal depth with total 800 lines. The subjects were evaluated by skin complexion analysis and 3-dimensional imaging system at 0, 90, and 180 days. Mean brow height lift and submental lift were calculated. All 25 subjects completed treatment and received the follow-up examinations at 90 and 180 days. Two of the 25 subjects were male. Mean patient age was 53.3 years (range: 39.8-61.1 years). Wrinkles, texture, and pores were 3 variables relevant to analysis of skin laxity. Only mean wrinkles score reduction at 90 days was statistically significant (p = .0222). There was a mean 0.47 mm brow lift at 90 days (p = .0165), but there was a 0.12 mm decrease in brow height compared to baseline at 180 days (p = .6494). At 90 days, a mean 26.44 mm submental lift was noted (p = .0217). And at 180 days, a mean 13.76 mm submental lift was noted (p = .243). This study showed that the most prominent change after the 800-line MFU-V treatments in Asians was the significant submental lift at 90 days. Other noninvasive or minimally invasive treatment modalities can be considered to combine with MFU-V for the optimal treatment response. Additional MFU-V treatments can be considered 3 months after the first treatment.

  2. Comparison of the Calcaneal Pitch Angle and Modified Projection Area Per Length Squared Method for Medial Longitudinal Arch Evaluation of the Foot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esat Kıter2

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To compare the calcaneal pitch angle (CPA values measured on direct lateral radiographs of feet, and the modified projection area per length squared (PAL, which was calculated as a new method for the evaluation of the medial longitudinal arch (MLA of the foot.Material and Methods: Direct lateral radiographs of patients who had weightbearing feet radiographies for any reason except trauma were retrospectively obtained from the archives. Direct lateral radiographs of the feet were printed and a transparent sheet was placed on it. A straight line was drawn between the most plantar process of the calcaneus and the head of the first metatarsal bone for the calculation of the PAL of the MLA. Two semilunar arcs were drawn upon this straight line. PAL1 and PAL2 were estimated using a point-counting technique. The CPA, lateral talo-calcaneal angles (LTCA, and talo-first metatarsal angles (TFMA were measured. The correlations between PAL1, PAL2 of right and left feet and CPA, LTCA, and TFMA were explored.Results: Fifty patients (27 females, 23 males with a mean age of 40.12 (4-78 years were evaluated. Significant correlations were detected between PAL1, PAL2 and CPA, and TFMA for both right and left feet (p<0.05. Conclusion: A significant correlation was detected between the modified PAL method as a new technique and the standard CPA method for MLA evaluation. The PAL method is suggested as a simple and practical method for MLA evaluation.

  3. Backscattering analysis of high frequency ultrasonic imaging for ultrasound-guided breast biopsy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cummins, Thomas; Akiyama, Takahiro; Lee, Changyang; Martin, Sue E.; Shung, K. Kirk

    2017-03-01

    A new ultrasound-guided breast biopsy technique is proposed. The technique utilizes conventional ultrasound guidance coupled with a high frequency embedded ultrasound array located within the biopsy needle to improve the accuracy in breast cancer diagnosis.1 The array within the needle is intended to be used to detect micro- calcifications indicative of early breast cancers such as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Backscattering analysis has the potential to characterize tissues to improve localization of lesions. This paper describes initial results of the application of backscattering analysis of breast biopsy tissue specimens and shows the usefulness of high frequency ultrasound for the new biopsy related technique. Ultrasound echoes of ex-vivo breast biopsy tissue specimens were acquired by using a single-element transducer with a bandwidth from 41 MHz to 88 MHz utilizing a UBM methodology, and the backscattering coefficients were calculated. These values as well as B-mode image data were mapped in 2D and matched with each pathology image for the identification of tissue type for the comparison to the pathology images corresponding to each plane. Microcalcifications were significantly distinguished from normal tissue. Adenocarcinoma was also successfully differentiated from adipose tissue. These results indicate that backscattering analysis is able to quantitatively distinguish tissues into normal and abnormal, which should help radiologists locate abnormal areas during the proposed ultrasound-guided breast biopsy with high frequency ultrasound.

  4. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... three types of pelvic ultrasound: abdominal, vaginal (for women), and rectal (for men). These exams are frequently ... pelvic ultrasound: abdominal ( transabdominal ) vaginal ( transvaginal / endovaginal ) for women rectal ( transrectal ) for men A Doppler ultrasound exam ...

  5. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... a pelvic ultrasound examination. Doppler ultrasound , also called color Doppler ultrasonography, is a special ultrasound technique that ... and processes the sounds and creates graphs or color pictures that represent the flow of blood through ...

  6. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... Ultrasound imaging is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. There are ... Ultrasound page for more information . Ultrasound examinations can help diagnose symptoms experienced by women such as: pelvic ...

  7. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show the structure and movement of the body's ... Obstetrical Ultrasound page for more information . Ultrasound examinations can help diagnose symptoms experienced by women such as: ...

  8. The future perspectives in transrectal prostate ultrasound guided biopsy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sung Il Hwang

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Prostate cancer is one of the most common neoplasms in men. Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS-guided systematic biopsy has a crucial role in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. However, it shows limited value with gray-scale ultrasound alone because only a small number of malignancies are visible on TRUS. Recently, new emerging technologies in TRUS-guided prostate biopsy were introduced and showed high potential in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. High echogenicity of ultrasound contrast agent reflect the increased status of angiogenesis in tumor. Molecular imaging for targeting specific biomarker can be also used using ultrasound contrast agent for detecting angiogenesis or surface biomarker of prostate cancer. The combination of TRUS-guided prostate biopsy and ultrasound contrast agents can increase the accuracy of prostate cancer diagnosis. Elastography is an emerging ultrasound technique that can provide the information regarding tissue elasticity and stiffness. Tumors are usually stiffer than the surrounding soft tissue. In two types of elastography techniques, shearwave elastography has many potential in that it can provide quantitative information on tissue elasticity. Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI from high resolution morphologic and functional magnetic resonance (MR technique enables to detect more prostate cancers. The combination of functional techniques including apparent diffusion coefficient map from diffusion weighted imaging, dynamic contrast enhanced MR and MR spectroscopy are helpful in the localization of the prostate cancer. MR-ultrasound (US fusion image can enhance the advantages of both two modalities. With MR-US fusion image, targeted biopsy of suspicious areas on MRI is possible and fusion image guided biopsy can provide improved detection rate. In conclusion, with recent advances in multiparametric-MRI, and introduction of new US techniques such as contrast-enhanced US and elastography, TRUS-guided biopsy

  9. Comparative anatomy of rabbit and human achilles tendons with magnetic resonance and ultrasound imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doherty, Geoffrey P; Koike, Yoichi; Uhthoff, Hans K; Lecompte, Martin; Trudel, Guy

    2006-02-01

    We sought to describe the comparative anatomy of the Achilles tendon in rabbits and humans by using macroscopic observation, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasonography. The calcaneus-Achilles tendon-gastrocnemius-soleus complexes from 18 New Zealand white rabbits underwent ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and gross anatomic sectioning; these results were compared with those from a cadaveric gastrocnemius-soleus-Achilles tendon-calcaneus specimen from a 68-y-old human male. The medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscle tendons merged 5.2 +/- 0.6 mm proximal to the calcaneal insertion macroscopically, at 93% of their course, different from the gastrocnemius human tendons, which merged at 23% of their overall course. The rabbit flexor digitorum superficialis tendon, corresponding to the flexor digitorum longus tendon in human and comparable in size with the gastrocnemius tendons, was located medial and anterior to the medial gastrocnemius tendon proximally and rotated dorsally and laterally to run posterior to the Achilles tendon-calcaneus insertion. In humans, the flexor digitorum longus tendon tracks posteriorly to the medial malleolus. The soleus muscle and tendon are negligible in the rabbit; these particular comparative anatomic features in the rabbit were confirmed on the MR images. Therefore the rabbit Achilles tendon shows distinctive gross anatomical and MR imaging features that must be considered when using the rabbit as a research model, especially for mechanical testing, or when generalizing results from rabbits to humans.

  10. Assessment of renal perfusion with contrast-enhanced ultrasound: Preliminary results in early diabetic nephropathies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Yi; Wang, Wen-Ping; Lin, Pan; Fan, Peili; Mao, Feng

    2016-01-01

    We performed a prospective study to evaluate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in quantitative evaluation of renal cortex perfusion in patients suspected of early diabetic nephropathies (DN), with the estimated GFR (MDRD equation) as the gold standard. The study protocol was approved by the hospital review board; each patient gave written informed consent. Our study included 46 cases (21 males and 25 females, mean age 55.6 ± 4.14 years) of clinical confirmed early DN patients. After intravenous bolus injection of 1 ml sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles of ultrasound contrast agent, real time CEUS of renal cortex was performed successively using a 2-5 MHz convex probe. Time-intensity curves (TICs) and quantitative indexes were created with Qlab software. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to predict the diagnostic criteria of CEUS quantitative indexes, and their diagnostic efficiencies were compared with resistance index (RI) and peak systolic velocity (PSV) of renal segmental arteries by chi square test. Our control group included forty-five healthy volunteers. Difference was considered statistically significant with P  0.05). CEUS might be helpful to improve early diagnosis of DN by quantitative analyses. AUC and DPI might be valuable quantitative indexes.

  11. Efficiency of quantitative echogenicity for investigating supraspinatus tendinopathy by the gray-level histogram of two ultrasound devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Jiun-Cheng; Chen, Po-Han; Huang, Kuo-Chin; Tsai, Yao-Hung; Hsu, Wei-Hsiu

    2017-10-01

    The gray-level histogram of ultrasound is a promising tool for scanning the hypoechogenic appearance of supraspinatus tendinopathy, and the aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the gray-level value of the supraspinatus tendon in the painful shoulder has a lower value on B-mode images even though in different ultrasound devices. Sixty-seven patients who had unilateral shoulder pain with rotator cuff tendinopathy underwent bilateral shoulder ultrasonography, and we compared the mean gray-level values of painful shoulders and contralateral shoulders without any pain in each patient using two ultrasound devices. The echogenicity ratio (symptomatic/asymptomatic side) of two ultrasound devices was compared. A significant difference existed between the symptomatic shoulder and contralateral asymptomatic shoulder (p level value measurements of each device. The symptomatic-to-asymptomatic tendon echogenicity ratio of device A was 0.919 ± 0.090 in the transverse plane and 0.937 ± 0.081 in the longitudinal plane, and the echogenicity ratio of device B was 0.899 ± 0.113 in the transverse plane and 0.940 ± 0.113 in the longitudinal plane. The decline of the mean gray-level value and the echogenicity ratio of the supraspinatus tendon in the painful shoulder may be utilized as a useful sonographic reference of unilateral rotator cuff lesions. Diagnostic level III.

  12. General Ultrasound Imaging

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... What are the limitations of General Ultrasound Imaging? What is General Ultrasound Imaging? Ultrasound is safe and ... be heard with every heartbeat. top of page What are some common uses of the procedure? Ultrasound ...

  13. General Ultrasound Imaging

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Index A-Z General Ultrasound Ultrasound imaging uses sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of ... pictures of the inside of the body using sound waves. Ultrasound imaging, also called ultrasound scanning or ...

  14. General Ultrasound Imaging

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... guide biopsy of breast cancer ( see the Ultrasound-Guided Breast Biopsy page . diagnose a variety of heart ... Articles and Media Angioplasty and Vascular Stenting Ultrasound-Guided Breast Biopsy Obstetric Ultrasound Ultrasound - Prostate Biopsies - Overview ...

  15. General Ultrasound Imaging

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... of an ultrasound examination. Doppler ultrasound , also called color Doppler ultrasonography, is a special ultrasound technique that ... kidneys. There are three types of Doppler ultrasound: Color Doppler uses a computer to convert Doppler measurements ...

  16. General Ultrasound Imaging

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... those sound waves to create an image. Ultrasound examinations do not use ionizing radiation (as used in ... ultrasound study may be part of an ultrasound examination. Doppler ultrasound , also called color Doppler ultrasonography, is ...

  17. Low bone mass prevalence and osteoporosis risk factor assessment in African American Wisconsin women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kidambi, Srividya; Partington, Susan; Binkley, Neil

    2005-11-01

    Post-menopausal osteoporosis is seen in all racial groups. With the increasing population and longevity of minority groups, osteoporosis is becoming an important health concern. Data regarding risk factors for, and prevalence of, low bone mass and awareness of osteoporosis risk in African American (AA) women are limited. This article evaluates the risk factors for, and prevalence of, low bone mass in a population of urban AA women in Wisconsin and assesses this group's perceived risk for osteoporosis. One hundred fifty consecutive community-dwelling AA women > or = 45 years old from Milwaukee, Wis were asked to complete a questionnaire based on currently accepted osteoporosis risk factors. Additionally, their perception of osteoporosis risk was assessed using a Likert scale. All subjects underwent quantitative calcaneal ultrasound. Subject mean age was 54 +/- 7 years. Mean T- and Z-scores were 0.5 and 0.4, respectively. Applying World Health Organization criteria, osteopenia (bone mineral density T-score 2 children), postmenopausal state, and current smoking were associated with lower calcaneal bone mass. Higher education and presence of diabetes were associated with a higher bone mass. Only 25% of the women surveyed thought they were at moderate to high risk for osteoporosis. Low bone mass was present in 33% of these AA women despite their relative young age. Many AA women do not perceive osteoporosis as a health risk. It is necessary to develop strategies to educate AA women regarding osteoporosis risk.

  18. Musculoskeletal ultrasound in rheumatology in Korea: targeted ultrasound initiative survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Taeyoung; Wakefield, Richard J; Emery, Paul

    2016-04-01

    In collaboration with the Targeted Ultrasound Initiative (TUI), to conduct the first study in Korea to investigate current practices in ultrasound use among Korean rheumatologists. We translated the TUI Global Survey into Korean and added questions to better understand the specific challenges facing rheumatologists in Korea. To target as many rheumatologists in Korea as possible, we created an on-line version of this survey, which was conducted from March to April 2013. Rheumatologists are in charge of ultrasound in many Korean hospitals. Rheumatologists in hospitals and private clinics use ultrasound to examine between one and five patients daily; they use ultrasound for diagnosis more than monitoring and receive compensation of about US$30-50 per patient. There are marked differences in the rates of ultrasound usage between rheumatologists who work in private practice compared with tertiary hospitals. Korean rheumatologists not currently using ultrasound in their practice appear eager to do so. This survey provides important insights into the current status of ultrasound in rheumatology in Korea and highlights several priorities; specifically, greater provision of formal training, standardization of reporting and accrual of greater experience among ultrasound users. If these needs are addressed, all rheumatology departments in Korea are likely to use ultrasound or have access to it in the future. © 2014 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  19. Presence of a long accessory flexor tendon of the toes in surgical treatment for tendinopathy of the insertion of the calcaneal tendon: case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nelson Pelozo Gomes Júnior

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT The presence of accessory tendons in the foot and ankle needs to be recognized, given that depending on their location, they may cause disorders relating either to pain processes or to handling of the surgical findings. We describe the presence of an accessory flexor tendon of the toes, seen in surgical exposure for transferring the long flexor tendon of the hallux to the calcaneus, due to the presence of a disorder of tendinopathy of the insertion of the calcaneal tendon in association with Haglund's syndrome.

  20. Ultrasound

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ultrasound is a useful procedure for monitoring the baby's development in the uterus. Ultrasound uses inaudible sound waves to produce a two-dimensional image of the baby while inside the mother's ...

  1. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... transducer sends out high-frequency sound waves (that the human ear cannot hear) into the body and then ... ultrasound , there are no known harmful effects on humans. top of page What are the limitations of Pelvic Ultrasound Imaging? Ultrasound waves are ...

  2. Quantitative assessment of oral orbicular muscle deformation after cleft lip reconstruction: an ultrasound elastography study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Korte, Chris L; van Hees, Nancy; Lopata, Richard G P; Weijers, Gert; Katsaros, Christos; Thijssen, Johan M

    2009-08-01

    Reconstruction of a cleft lip leads inevitably to scar tissue formation. Scar tissue within the restored oral orbicular muscle might be assessed by quantification of the local contractility of this muscle. Furthermore, information about the contraction capability of the oral orbicular muscle is crucial for planning the revision surgery of an individual patient. We used ultrasound elastography to determine the local deformation (strain) of the upper lip and to differentiate contracting muscle from passive scar tissue. Raw ultrasound data (radio-frequency format; rf-) were acquired, while the lips were brought from normal state into a pout condition and back in normal state, in three patients and three normal individuals. During this movement, the oral orbicular muscle contracts and, consequently, thickens in contrast to scar tissue that will not contract, or even expand. An iterative coarse-to-fine strain estimation method was used to calculate the local tissue strain. Analysis of the raw ultrasound data allows estimation of tissue strain with a high precision. The minimum strain that can be assessed reproducibly is 0.1%. In normal individuals, strain of the orbicular oral muscle was in the order of 20%. Also, a uniform strain distribution in the oral orbicular muscle was found. However, in patients deviating values were found in the region of the reconstruction and the muscle tissue surrounding that. In two patients with a successful reconstruction, strain was reduced by 6% in the reconstructed region with respect to the normal parts of the muscle (from 22% to 16% and from 25% to 19%). In a patient with severe aesthetical and functional disability, strain decreased from 30% in the normal region to 5% in the reconstructed region. With ultrasound elastography, the strain of the oral orbicular muscle can be quantified. In healthy subjects, the strain profiles and maximum strain values in all parts of the muscle were similar. The maximum strain of the muscle during

  3. Ultrasound measurements for the prediction of osteoporotic fractures in elderly people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pluijm, S.M.F.; Graafmans, W.C.; Bouter, L.M.; Lips, P.T.A.M.

    1999-01-01

    In this prospective study we investigated the predictive value of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) measurements and other potential predictors of osteoporotic fractures in the elderly. During a I-year period, 710 participants (132 men and 578 women), aged 70 years and older (mean age ± SD: 82.8 ± 5.9),

  4. Resolution enhancement in medical ultrasound imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ploquin, Marie; Basarab, Adrian; Kouamé, Denis

    2015-01-01

    Image resolution enhancement is a problem of considerable interest in all medical imaging modalities. Unlike general purpose imaging or video processing, for a very long time, medical image resolution enhancement has been based on optimization of the imaging devices. Although some recent works purport to deal with image postprocessing, much remains to be done regarding medical image enhancement via postprocessing, especially in ultrasound imaging. We face a resolution improvement issue in the case of medical ultrasound imaging. We propose to investigate this problem using multidimensional autoregressive (AR) models. Noting that the estimation of the envelope of an ultrasound radio frequency (RF) signal is very similar to the estimation of classical Fourier-based power spectrum estimation, we theoretically show that a domain change and a multidimensional AR model can be used to achieve super-resolution in ultrasound imaging provided the order is estimated correctly. Here, this is done by means of a technique that simultaneously estimates the order and the parameters of a multidimensional model using relevant regression matrix factorization. Doing so, the proposed method specifically fits ultrasound imaging and provides an estimated envelope. Moreover, an expression that links the theoretical image resolution to both the image acquisition features (such as the point spread function) and a postprocessing feature (the AR model) order is derived. The overall contribution of this work is threefold. First, it allows for automatic resolution improvement. Through a simple model and without any specific manual algorithmic parameter tuning, as is used in common methods, the proposed technique simply and exclusively uses the ultrasound RF signal as input and provides the improved B-mode as output. Second, it allows for the a priori prediction of the improvement in resolution via the knowledge of the parametric model order before actual processing. Finally, to achieve the

  5. Videodensitometric quantitative angiography after coronary balloon angioplasty, compared to edge-detection quantitative angiography and intracoronary ultrasound imaging

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peters, R. J.; Kok, W. E.; Pasterkamp, G.; von Birgelen, C.; Prins, M. [=Martin H.; Serruys, P. W.

    2000-01-01

    AIMS: To assess the value of videodensitometric quantification of the coronary lumen after angioplasty by comparison to two other techniques of coronary artery lumen quantification. METHODS AND RESULTS: Videodensitometric quantitative angiography, edge detection quantitative angiography and 30 MHz

  6. Evaluation of an Obstetric Ultrasound Curriculum for Midwives in Liberia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bentley, Suzanne; Hexom, Braden; Nelson, Bret P

    2015-09-01

    Point-of-care ultrasound is an effective tool for clinical decision making in low- and middle-income countries, but lack of trained providers is a barrier to its utility in these settings. In Liberia, given that midwives provide most prenatal care, it is hypothesized that training them in prenatal ultrasound through an intensive condensed training course is both feasible and practical. This quantitative prospective study of preobservational and postobservational assessment evaluated a 1-week ultrasound curriculum consisting of 4 modules, each comprising a didactic component, a practical session, and supervised patient encounters. A knowledge-based pretest and presurvey addressing prior use and comfort were administered. At the intervention conclusion, identical posttests and postsurveys were administered with an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). The test, survey, and OSCE were repeated after 1 year. All scores and responses were tabulated, and qualitative analysis with paired t tests was performed. Thirty-one midwives underwent intervention and written evaluation, with 14 followed up at 1 year. Seventeen underwent the OSCE, with 8 retained at 1 year. There was a significant increase between pretest and immediate and 1-year posttest scores (36.6% versus 90% and 66%; P .05). Average overall comfort using ultrasound increased from presurvey to immediate postsurvey scores (from 1.8 to 3.8; P .05). Midwives in Liberia had very low baseline knowledge and comfort using ultrasound. A 1-week curriculum increased both short- and long-term knowledge and comfort and led to adequate overall OSCE scores that were retained at 1 year. © 2015 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

  7. WE-B-210-02: The Advent of Ultrafast Imaging in Biomedical Ultrasound

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanter, M.

    2015-01-01

    In the last fifteen years, the introduction of plane or diverging wave transmissions rather than line by line scanning focused beams has broken the conventional barriers of ultrasound imaging. By using such large field of view transmissions, the frame rate reaches the theoretical limit of physics dictated by the ultrasound speed and an ultrasonic map can be provided typically in tens of micro-seconds (several thousands of frames per second). Interestingly, this leap in frame rate is not only a technological breakthrough but it permits the advent of completely new ultrasound imaging modes, including shear wave elastography, electromechanical wave imaging, ultrafast doppler, ultrafast contrast imaging, and even functional ultrasound imaging of brain activity (fUltrasound) introducing Ultrasound as an emerging full-fledged neuroimaging modality. At ultrafast frame rates, it becomes possible to track in real time the transient vibrations – known as shear waves – propagating through organs. Such “human body seismology” provides quantitative maps of local tissue stiffness whose added value for diagnosis has been recently demonstrated in many fields of radiology (breast, prostate and liver cancer, cardiovascular imaging, …). Today, Supersonic Imagine company is commercializing the first clinical ultrafast ultrasound scanner, Aixplorer with real time Shear Wave Elastography. This is the first example of an ultrafast Ultrasound approach surpassing the research phase and now widely spread in the clinical medical ultrasound community with an installed base of more than 1000 Aixplorer systems in 54 countries worldwide. For blood flow imaging, ultrafast Doppler permits high-precision characterization of complex vascular and cardiac flows. It also gives ultrasound the ability to detect very subtle blood flow in very small vessels. In the brain, such ultrasensitive Doppler paves the way for fUltrasound (functional ultrasound imaging) of brain activity with unprecedented

  8. WE-B-210-02: The Advent of Ultrafast Imaging in Biomedical Ultrasound

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tanter, M. [Laboratoire Ondes et Acoustique (France)

    2015-06-15

    In the last fifteen years, the introduction of plane or diverging wave transmissions rather than line by line scanning focused beams has broken the conventional barriers of ultrasound imaging. By using such large field of view transmissions, the frame rate reaches the theoretical limit of physics dictated by the ultrasound speed and an ultrasonic map can be provided typically in tens of micro-seconds (several thousands of frames per second). Interestingly, this leap in frame rate is not only a technological breakthrough but it permits the advent of completely new ultrasound imaging modes, including shear wave elastography, electromechanical wave imaging, ultrafast doppler, ultrafast contrast imaging, and even functional ultrasound imaging of brain activity (fUltrasound) introducing Ultrasound as an emerging full-fledged neuroimaging modality. At ultrafast frame rates, it becomes possible to track in real time the transient vibrations – known as shear waves – propagating through organs. Such “human body seismology” provides quantitative maps of local tissue stiffness whose added value for diagnosis has been recently demonstrated in many fields of radiology (breast, prostate and liver cancer, cardiovascular imaging, …). Today, Supersonic Imagine company is commercializing the first clinical ultrafast ultrasound scanner, Aixplorer with real time Shear Wave Elastography. This is the first example of an ultrafast Ultrasound approach surpassing the research phase and now widely spread in the clinical medical ultrasound community with an installed base of more than 1000 Aixplorer systems in 54 countries worldwide. For blood flow imaging, ultrafast Doppler permits high-precision characterization of complex vascular and cardiac flows. It also gives ultrasound the ability to detect very subtle blood flow in very small vessels. In the brain, such ultrasensitive Doppler paves the way for fUltrasound (functional ultrasound imaging) of brain activity with unprecedented

  9. Effects of intra-operative fluoroscopic 3D-imaging on peri-operative imaging strategy in calcaneal fracture surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beerekamp, M S H; Backes, M; Schep, N W L; Ubbink, D T; Luitse, J S; Schepers, T; Goslings, J C

    2017-12-01

    Previous studies demonstrated that intra-operative fluoroscopic 3D-imaging (3D-imaging) in calcaneal fracture surgery is promising to prevent revision surgery and save costs. However, these studies limited their focus to corrections performed after 3D-imaging, thereby neglecting corrections after intra-operative fluoroscopic 2D-imaging (2D-imaging). The aim of this study was to assess the effects of additional 3D-imaging on intra-operative corrections, peri-operative imaging used, and patient-relevant outcomes compared to 2D-imaging alone. In this before-after study, data of adult patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of a calcaneal fracture between 2000 and 2014 in our level-I Trauma center were collected. 3D-imaging (BV Pulsera with 3D-RX, Philips Healthcare, Best, The Netherlands) was available as of 2007 at the surgeons' discretion. Patient and fracture characteristics, peri-operative imaging, intra-operative corrections and patient-relevant outcomes were collected from the hospital databases. Patients in whom additional 3D-imaging was applied were compared to those undergoing 2D-imaging alone. A total of 231 patients were included of whom 107 (46%) were operated with the use of 3D-imaging. No significant differences were found in baseline characteristics. The median duration of surgery was significantly longer when using 3D-imaging (2:08 vs. 1:54 h; p = 0.002). Corrections after additional 3D-imaging were performed in 53% of the patients. However, significantly fewer corrections were made after 2D-imaging when 3D-imaging was available (Risk difference (RD) -15%; 95% Confidence interval (CI) -29 to -2). Peri-operative imaging, besides intra-operative 3D-imaging, and patient-relevant outcomes were similar between groups. Intra-operative 3D-imaging provides additional information resulting in additional corrections. Moreover, 3D-imaging probably changed the surgeons' attitude to rely more on 3D-imaging, hence a 15%-decrease of

  10. Visualizing and measuring the temperature field produced by medical diagnostic ultrasound using thermography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vachutka, J; Grec, P; Mornstein, V; Caruana, C J

    2008-01-01

    The heating of tissues by diagnostic ultrasound can pose a significant hazard particularly in the imaging of the unborn child. The demonstration of the temperature field in tissue is therefore an important objective in the teaching of biomedical physics to healthcare professionals. The temperature field in a soft tissue model was made visible and measured using thermography. Temperature data from the images were used to investigate the dependence of temperature increase within the model on ultrasound exposure time and distance from the transducer. The experiment will be used within a multi-professional biomedical physics teaching laboratory for enhancing learning regarding the principles of thermography and the thermal effects of ultrasound to medical and healthcare students and also for demonstrating the quantitative use of thermographic imaging to students of biophysics, medical physics and medical technology

  11. How does quantitative ultrasound compare to dual X-ray absorptiometry at various skeletal sites in relation to the WHO diagnosis categories?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, H L; Warming, L; Bjarnason, N H

    2001-01-01

    group by the investigated parameters is large ranging from 25.9% of the women being diagnosed as osteopenic by BUA at the heel to 43.0% by BMD at the femoral neck. For men, the same range is from 20.5% by BUA to 44.1% by BMD at the femoral neck. For the classification into the osteoporotic group...... with this classification is assessed in terms of sensitivity and specificity. We conclude that there are significant differences in the classification of osteoporosis/osteopenia depending on the site measured and the technique used for the bone mass assessment. Furthermore, we suggest that development of technique...... as either osteopenic or osteoporotic according to these guidelines using dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), at the hip, at the spine and at the lower forearm and quantitative ultrasound (QUS), at the heel. A total of 247 men, 209 postmenopausal women and 195 premenopausal women were included in the study...

  12. Multi-source quantitative photoacoustic tomography in a diffusive regime

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bal, Guillaume; Ren, Kui

    2011-01-01

    Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is a novel hybrid medical imaging technique that aims to combine the large contrast of optical coefficients with the high-resolution capabilities of ultrasound. We assume that the first step of PAT, namely the reconstruction of a map of absorbed radiation from ultrasound boundary measurement, has been done. We focus on quantitative photoacoustic tomography, which aims at quantitatively reconstructing the optical coefficients from knowledge of the absorbed radiation map. We present a non-iterative procedure to reconstruct such optical coefficients, namely the diffusion and absorption coefficients, and the Grüneisen coefficient when the propagation of radiation is modeled by a second-order elliptic equation. We show that PAT measurements allow us to uniquely reconstruct only two out of the above three coefficients, even when data are collected using an arbitrary number of radiation illuminations. We present uniqueness and stability results for the reconstructions of two such parameters and demonstrate the accuracy of the reconstruction algorithm with numerical reconstructions from two-dimensional synthetic data

  13. Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography (pQCT), Broad Band Ultrasound Attenuation (BUA) and Speed of Sound (SOS) in a population of normal females aged from 8 to 20 years

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bagni, B.; Corazzari, T.; Bagni, I.; Garuti, F.; Franceschetto, A.; Casolo, A.; Pansini, F.

    2002-01-01

    Aim: To evaluate, in a population of young healthy females aged from 8 to 20 years the bone mass peak (or density), the normal ranges versus age and menarche-age using two method: pQCT (peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography) and ultrasound absorptiometry. Material and Methods: From 1998 to 2000 selective measurement of Bone Mineral Density (BMD) of trabecular bone at the ultradistal radius using pQCT, BUA (Broad Band Attenuation) and SOS ( Speed Of Sound) was carried out on 426 healthy females (aged from 8 to 20 years) in north Italy. BMD were measured using a single photon miniaturized tomographic scanner in the ultradistal radius, SOS and BUA were measured at the same time, using a water bath device obtaining parametric bidimensional images of BUA and SOS. The population studied refers to normal females free of bone metabolism alteration, in pre and post-pubertal status. Results: A normal range of BMD, BUA and SOS versus age and menarche age were established. A linear correlation was found between BUA and BMD measured with pQCT. SOS does not show any correlation with BMD. The pre-puberty and the post-puberty groups show statistically significant differences between SOS, BUA and BMD. We found the peak bone density (measured with pQCT) in the trabecular bone at the ultradistal radius at 15 years of age (mean menarche age of 10 years). The same position of the peak was found for BUA, for SOS the situation is not well defined. The analytical fitting of the data highlights a polynomial correlation of BMD vs. age, SOS vs. age, BUA vs. age. Conclusions: It appears that the sexual growth influences the position of peak bone density. The results obtained show a statistically significant correlation between BUA and BMD versus age, the menarche-age and the period of exposure of bone tissue to the oestrogen. After all, pQCT and ultrasound are useful techniques to evaluate bone density and structure also in a growing population. The results of this study shows the

  14. Ultrasound-enhanced delivery of targeted echogenic liposomes in a novel ex vivo mouse aorta model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hitchcock, Kathryn E; Caudell, Danielle N; Sutton, Jonathan T; Klegerman, Melvin E; Vela, Deborah; Pyne-Geithman, Gail J; Abruzzo, Todd; Cyr, Peppar E P; Geng, Yong-Jian; McPherson, David D; Holland, Christy K

    2010-06-15

    The goal of this study was to determine whether targeted, Rhodamine-labeled echogenic liposomes (Rh-ELIP) containing nanobubbles could be delivered to the arterial wall, and whether 1-MHz continuous wave ultrasound would enhance this delivery profile. Aortae excised from apolipoprotein-E-deficient (n=8) and wild-type (n=8) mice were mounted in a pulsatile flow system through which Rh-ELIP were delivered in a stream of bovine serum albumin. Half the aortae from each group were treated with 1-MHz continuous wave ultrasound at 0.49 MPa peak-to-peak pressure, and half underwent sham exposure. Ultrasound parameters were chosen to promote stable cavitation and avoid inertial cavitation. A broadband hydrophone was used to monitor cavitation activity. After treatment, aortic sections were prepared for histology and analyzed by an individual blinded to treatment conditions. Delivery of Rh-ELIP to the vascular endothelium was observed, and sub-endothelial penetration of Rh-ELIP was present in five of five ultrasound-treated aortae and was absent in those not exposed to ultrasound. However, the degree of penetration in the ultrasound-exposed aortae was variable. There was no evidence of ultrasound-mediated tissue damage in any specimen. Ultrasound-enhanced delivery within the arterial wall was demonstrated in this novel model, which allows quantitative evaluation of therapeutic delivery. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Beneficial effects of tai chi on women's skeletal status assessed by quantitative ultrasound at the hand phalanges - one-year follow-up study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bolanowski, M.; Skrzek, A.; Bolanowski, J.; Pluskiewicz, W.; Adamczyk, P.

    2007-01-01

    Objectives. The advantageous effect of physical exercise on bones has been proven. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) at different skeletal sites is an accepted method for indirect and noninvasive assessment of bone quality and fracture risk. Earlier, the present authors showed higher values of ultrasound transmission in the hand phalanges of a group of Polish women practicing Tai Chi. The aim of the present study was a prospective assessment of skeletal status in women practicing Tai Chi. Material and Methods. One-year follow-up of skeletal status was assessed using QUS measurements at the hand phalanges in a group of 46 exercising women (mean age: 59.3 ± 8.7 years). Results. At follow-up, increases in the mean amplitude-dependent speed of sound (Ad-SoS) from 1995 ± 80 to 2012 ± 75 m/s (p = 0.001) and mean Z-score from 0.673 ± 1.054 to 1.053 ± 1.178 (p = 0.0005) were observed in the exercising subjects. These changes revealed statistically significant positive correlation with subject age (r = 0.39, p = 0.007 and r = 0.35, p 0.018, respectively). The increase in Ad-SoS exceeded the value of the '' least significant change '' in 19 subjects (41%) of the total group and in 2 (22%) incorporated into medithe pre- and postmenopausal subgroups, respectively. Conclusions. A beneficial effect of regular Tai Chi exercise on skeletal status as assessed by phalangeal QUS is observed in older women. Tai Chi gymnastics may be recommended in the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis, especially in older individuals. (authors)

  16. Wrist ultrasound analysis of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.A. Mendonça

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In the present study, we evaluated 42 wrists using the semi-quantitative scales power Doppler ultrasound (PDUS and gray scale ultrasound (GSUS with scores ranging from 0 to 3 and correlated the results with clinical, laboratory and radiographic data. Twenty-one patients (17 women and 4 men with rheumatoid arthritis according to criteria of the American College of Rheumatology were enrolled in the study from September 2008 to July 2009 at Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP. The average disease duration was 14 months. The patients were 66.6% Caucasians and 33.3% non-Caucasians, with a mean age of 42 and 41 years, respectively. A dorsal longitudinal scan was performed by ultrasound on the radiocarpal and midcarpal joints using GE LOGIQ XP-linear ultrasound and a high frequency (8-10 MHz transducer. All patients were X-rayed, and the Larsen score was determined for the joints, with grades ranging from 0 to V. This study showed significant correlations between clinical, sonographic and laboratory data: GSUS and swollen right wrist (r = 0.546, GSUS of right wrist and swelling of left wrist (r = 0.511, PDUS of right wrist and pain in left wrist (r = 0.436, PDUS of right wrist and C-reactive protein (r = 0.466. Ultrasound can be considered a useful tool in the diagnosis of synovitis in early rheumatoid arthritis mainly when the anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide and rheumatoid factor are negative, and can lead to an early change in the therapeutic decision.

  17. Ankle joint pressure changes in a pes cavovarus model: supramalleolar valgus osteotomy versus lateralizing calcaneal osteotomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmid, Timo; Zurbriggen, Sebastian; Zderic, Ivan; Gueorguiev, Boyko; Weber, Martin; Krause, Fabian G

    2013-09-01

    A fixed cavovarus foot deformity can be associated with anteromedial ankle arthrosis due to elevated medial joint contact stresses. Supramalleolar valgus osteotomies (SMOT) and lateralizing calcaneal osteotomies (LCOT) are commonly used to treat symptoms by redistributing joint contact forces. In a cavovarus model, the effects of SMOT and LCOT on the lateralization of the center of force (COF) and reduction of the peak pressure in the ankle joint were compared. A previously published cavovarus model with fixed hindfoot varus was simulated in 10 cadaver specimens. Closing wedge supramalleolar valgus osteotomies 3 cm above the ankle joint level (6 and 11 degrees) and lateral sliding calcaneal osteotomies (5 and 10 mm displacement) were analyzed at 300 N axial static load (half body weight). The COF migration and peak pressure decrease in the ankle were recorded using high-resolution TekScan pressure sensors. A significant lateral COF shift was observed for each osteotomy: 2.1 mm for the 6 degrees (P = .014) and 2.3 mm for the 11 degrees SMOT (P = .010). The 5 mm LCOT led to a lateral shift of 2.0 mm (P = .042) and the 10 mm LCOT to a shift of 3.0 mm (P = .006). Comparing the different osteotomies among themselves no significant differences were recorded. No significant anteroposterior COF shift was seen. A significant peak pressure reduction was recorded for each osteotomy: The SMOT led to a reduction of 29% (P = .033) for the 6 degrees and 47% (P = .003) for the 11 degrees osteotomy, and the LCOT to a reduction of 41% (P = .003) for the 5 mm and 49% (P = .002) for the 10 mm osteotomy. Similar to the COF lateralization no significant differences between the osteotomies were seen. LCOT and SMOT significantly reduced anteromedial ankle joint contact stresses in this cavovarus model. The unloading effects of both osteotomies were equivalent. More correction did not lead to significantly more lateralization of the COF or more reduction of peak pressure but a trend was

  18. The role of heating, cavitation and acoustic streaming in mediating ultrasound-induced changes of TGF-β gene expression in bone cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harle, J; Mayia, F

    2004-01-01

    This paper relates ultrasound-induced changes in bone cell function to quantitative data assessing the level of several interaction mechanisms within the exposure environment. Characterisation of ultrasound fields in terms of resultant levels of heating, cavitation and acoustic streaming may provide a novel means of accurately assessing the likelihood of biological effects in vitro

  19. Updates on ultrasound research in implant dentistry: a systematic review of potential clinical indications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhaskar, Vaishnavi; Chan, Hsun-Liang; MacEachern, Mark; Kripfgans, Oliver D

    2018-05-23

    Ultrasonography has shown promising diagnostic value in dental implant imaging research; however, exactly how ultrasound was used and at what stage of implant therapy it can be applied has not been systematically evaluated. Therefore, the aim of this review is to investigate potential indications of ultrasound use in the three implant treatment phases, namely planning, intraoperative and postoperative phase. Eligible manuscripts were searched in major databases with a combination of key words related to the use of ultrasound imaging in implant therapy. An initial search yielded 414 articles, after further review, 28 articles were finally included for this systematic review. Ultrasound was found valuable, though at various development stages, for evaluating (1) soft tissues, (2) hard tissues (3) vital structures and (4) implant stability. B-mode, the main function to image anatomical structures of interest, has been evaluated in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Quantitative ultrasound parameters, e.g. sound speed and amplitude, are being developed to evaluate implant-bone stability, mainly in simulation and pre-clinical studies. Ultrasound could be potentially useful in all 3 treatment phases. In the planning phase, ultrasound could evaluate vital structures, tissue biotype, ridge width/density, and cortical bone thickness. During surgery, it can provide feedback by identifying vital structures and bone boundary. At follow-up visits, it could evaluate marginal bone level and implant stability. Understanding the current status of ultrasound imaging research for implant therapy would be extremely beneficial for accelerating translational research and its use in dental clinics.

  20. Comb-push ultrasound shear elastography of breast masses: initial results show promise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denis, Max; Mehrmohammadi, Mohammad; Song, Pengfei; Meixner, Duane D; Fazzio, Robert T; Pruthi, Sandhya; Whaley, Dana H; Chen, Shigao; Fatemi, Mostafa; Alizad, Azra

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate the performance of Comb-push Ultrasound Shear Elastography (CUSE) for classification of breast masses. CUSE is an ultrasound-based quantitative two-dimensional shear wave elasticity imaging technique, which utilizes multiple laterally distributed acoustic radiation force (ARF) beams to simultaneously excite the tissue and induce shear waves. Female patients who were categorized as having suspicious breast masses underwent CUSE evaluations prior to biopsy. An elasticity estimate within the breast mass was obtained from the CUSE shear wave speed map. Elasticity estimates of various types of benign and malignant masses were compared with biopsy results. Fifty-four female patients with suspicious breast masses from our ongoing study are presented. Our cohort included 31 malignant and 23 benign breast masses. Our results indicate that the mean shear wave speed was significantly higher in malignant masses (6 ± 1.58 m/s) in comparison to benign masses (3.65 ± 1.36 m/s). Therefore, the stiffness of the mass quantified by the Young's modulus is significantly higher in malignant masses. According to the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), the optimal cut-off value of 83 kPa yields 87.10% sensitivity, 82.61% specificity, and 0.88 for the area under the curve (AUC). CUSE has the potential for clinical utility as a quantitative diagnostic imaging tool adjunct to B-mode ultrasound for differentiation of malignant and benign breast masses.

  1. Effect of modulated ultrasound parameters on ultrasound-induced thrombolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soltani, Azita; Volz, Kim R; Hansmann, Doulas R

    2008-01-01

    The potential of ultrasound to enhance enzyme-mediated thrombolysis by application of constant operating parameters (COP) has been widely demonstrated. In this study, the effect of ultrasound with modulated operating parameters (MOP) on enzyme-mediated thrombolysis was investigated. The MOP protocol was applied to an in vitro model of thrombolysis. The results were compared to a COP with the equivalent soft tissue thermal index (TIS) over the duration of ultrasound exposure of 30 min (p -2 ± 0.01 μm and 1.99 x 10 -2 ± 0.004 μm, respectively (p < 0.74). No signatures of inertial or stable cavitation were observed for either acoustic protocol. In conclusion, due to mechanisms other than cavitation, application of ultrasound with modulated operating parameters has the potential to significantly enhance the relative lysis enhancement compared to application of ultrasound with constant operating parameters.

  2. Quantification of complex blood flow using real-time in vivo vector flow ultrasound

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Mads Møller; Pihl, Michael Johannes; Haugaard, Per

    2010-01-01

    A quantitative method for distinguishing complex from non-complex flow patterns in ultrasound is presented. A new commercial BK Medical ultrasound scanner uses the Transverse Oscillation vector flow technique for visualising flow patterns in real-time. In vivo vector flow data of the blood flow...... patterns of the common carotid artery and the carotid bulb were obtained simultaneously as the basis for quantifying complex flow. The carotid bifurcation of two healthy volunteers were scanned. The presence of complex flow patterns from eight cardiac cycles were evaluated by three experts in medical...... for automatic detection of complex flow patterns....

  3. Inactivation of norovirus surrogates on surfaces and raspberries by steam-ultrasound treatment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schultz, Anna Charlotte; Uhrbrand, Katrine; Nørrung, Birgit

    2012-01-01

    of infectious virus and viral genomes were determined by plaque assay and reverse transcription-real time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), respectively. On plastic surfaces, an inactivation of >99.99% was obtained for both MS2 and FCV, corresponding to a 9.1-log and >4.8-log reduction after 1 or 3 s of treatment......) resulted in negligible reductions of viral genome titers of MS2, FCV, and MNV on plastic surfaces as well as of MS2 inoculated on raspberries. Steam-ultrasound treatment in its current format does not appear to be an appropriate method to achieve sufficient decontamination of NoV-contaminated raspberries...... treatment that combines pressurized steam and high-power ultrasound (steam-ultrasound) was assessed for its efficacy to inactivate human NoV surrogates: coliphage (MS2), feline calicivirus (FCV), and murine norovirus (MNV) inoculated on plastic surfaces and MS2 inoculated on fresh raspberries. The amounts...

  4. Response monitoring using quantitative ultrasound methods and supervised dictionary learning in locally advanced breast cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gangeh, Mehrdad J.; Fung, Brandon; Tadayyon, Hadi; Tran, William T.; Czarnota, Gregory J.

    2016-03-01

    A non-invasive computer-aided-theragnosis (CAT) system was developed for the early assessment of responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced breast cancer. The CAT system was based on quantitative ultrasound spectroscopy methods comprising several modules including feature extraction, a metric to measure the dissimilarity between "pre-" and "mid-treatment" scans, and a supervised learning algorithm for the classification of patients to responders/non-responders. One major requirement for the successful design of a high-performance CAT system is to accurately measure the changes in parametric maps before treatment onset and during the course of treatment. To this end, a unified framework based on Hilbert-Schmidt independence criterion (HSIC) was used for the design of feature extraction from parametric maps and the dissimilarity measure between the "pre-" and "mid-treatment" scans. For the feature extraction, HSIC was used to design a supervised dictionary learning (SDL) method by maximizing the dependency between the scans taken from "pre-" and "mid-treatment" with "dummy labels" given to the scans. For the dissimilarity measure, an HSIC-based metric was employed to effectively measure the changes in parametric maps as an indication of treatment effectiveness. The HSIC-based feature extraction and dissimilarity measure used a kernel function to nonlinearly transform input vectors into a higher dimensional feature space and computed the population means in the new space, where enhanced group separability was ideally obtained. The results of the classification using the developed CAT system indicated an improvement of performance compared to a CAT system with basic features using histogram of intensity.

  5. General Ultrasound Imaging

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... ultrasound. top of page How does the procedure work? Ultrasound imaging is based on the same principles ... modality for the diagnosis and monitoring of pregnant women and their unborn babies. Ultrasound provides real-time ...

  6. General Ultrasound Imaging

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... of page How is the procedure performed? For most ultrasound exams, you will be positioned lying face- ... Ultrasound examinations are painless and easily tolerated by most patients. Ultrasound exams in which the transducer is ...

  7. General Ultrasound Imaging

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. Conventional ultrasound displays the images in thin, flat sections of the body. Advancements in ultrasound technology include three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound that formats ...

  8. General Ultrasound Imaging

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... D images. A Doppler ultrasound study may be part of an ultrasound examination. Doppler ultrasound , also called ... terms of the distance traveled per unit of time, rather than as a color picture. It can ...

  9. Enhancement of bone shadow region using local phase-based ultrasound transmission maps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hacihaliloglu, Ilker

    2017-06-01

    Ultrasound is increasingly being employed in different orthopedic procedures as an imaging modality for real-time guidance. Nevertheless, low signal-to-noise-ratio and different imaging artifacts continue to hamper the success of ultrasound-based procedures. Bone shadow region is an important feature indicating the presence of bone/tissue interface in the acquired ultrasound data. Enhancement and automatic detection of this region could improve the sensitivity of ultrasound for imaging bone and result in improved guidance for various orthopedic procedures. In this work, a method is introduced for the enhancement of bone shadow regions from B-mode ultrasound data. The method is based on the combination of three different image phase features: local phase tensor, local weighted mean phase angle, and local phase energy. The combined local phase image features are used as an input to an [Formula: see text] norm-based contextual regularization method which emphasizes uncertainty in the shadow regions. The enhanced bone shadow images are automatically segmented and compared against expert segmentation. Qualitative and quantitative validation was performed on 100 in vivo US scans obtained from five subjects by scanning femur and vertebrae bones. Validation against expert segmentation achieved a mean dice similarity coefficient of 0.88. The encouraging results obtained in this initial study suggest that the proposed method is promising enough for further evaluation. The calculated bone shadow maps could be incorporated into different ultrasound bone segmentation and registration approaches as an additional feature.

  10. Two-dimensional Shear Wave Elastography on Conventional Ultrasound Scanners with Time Aligned Sequential Tracking (TAST) and Comb-push Ultrasound Shear Elastography (CUSE)

    OpenAIRE

    Song, Pengfei; Macdonald, Michael C.; Behler, Russell H.; Lanning, Justin D.; Wang, Michael H.; Urban, Matthew W.; Manduca, Armando; Zhao, Heng; Callstrom, Matthew R.; Alizad, Azra; Greenleaf, James F.; Chen, Shigao

    2015-01-01

    Two-dimensional (2D) shear wave elastography presents 2D quantitative shear elasticity maps of tissue, which are clinically useful for both focal lesion detection and diffuse disease diagnosis. Realization of 2D shear wave elastography on conventional ultrasound scanners, however, is challenging due to the low tracking pulse-repetition-frequency (PRF) of these systems. While some clinical and research platforms support software beamforming and plane wave imaging with high PRF, the majority of...

  11. 2D shear-wave ultrasound elastography (SWE) evaluation of ablation zone following radiofrequency ablation of liver lesions: is it more accurate?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bo, Xiao W; Li, Xiao L; Guo, Le H; Li, Dan D; Liu, Bo J; Wang, Dan; He, Ya P; Xu, Xiao H

    2016-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of two-dimensional quantitative ultrasound shear-wave elastography (2D-SWE) [i.e. virtual touch imaging quantification (VTIQ)] in assessing the ablation zone after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for ex vivo swine livers. Methods: RFA was performed in 10 pieces of fresh ex vivo swine livers with a T20 electrode needle and 20-W output power. Conventional ultrasound, conventional strain elastography (SE) and VTIQ were performed to depict the ablation zone 0 min, 10 min, 30 min and 60 min after ablation. On VTIQ, the ablation zones were evaluated qualitatively by evaluating the shear-wave velocity (SWV) map and quantitatively by measuring the SWV. The ultrasound, SE and VTIQ results were compared against gross pathological and histopathological specimens. Results: VTIQ SWV maps gave more details about the ablation zone, the central necrotic zone appeared as red, lateral necrotic zone as green and transitional zone as light green, from inner to exterior, while the peripheral unablated liver appeared as blue. Conventional ultrasound and SE, however, only marginally depicted the whole ablation zone. The volumes of the whole ablation zone (central necrotic zone + lateral necrotic zone + transitional zone) and necrotic zone (central necrotic zone + lateral necrotic zone) measured by VTIQ showed excellent correlation (r = 0.915, p  0.05). Conclusion: The quantitative 2D-SWE of VTIQ is useful for the depiction of the ablation zone after RFA and it facilitates discrimination of different areas in the ablation zone qualitatively and quantitatively. This elastography technique might be useful for the therapeutic response evaluation instantly after RFA. Advances in knowledge: A new quantitative 2D-SWE (i.e. VTIQ) for evaluation treatment response after RFA is demonstrated. It facilitates discrimination of the different areas in the ablation zone qualitatively and quantitatively and may be useful for the therapeutic

  12. Ultrasound in Space Medicine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dulchavsky, Scott A.; Sargsyan, A.E.

    2009-01-01

    This slide presentation reviews the use of ultrasound as a diagnostic tool in microgravity environments. The goals of research in ultrasound usage in space environments are: (1) Determine accuracy of ultrasound in novel clinical conditions. (2) Determine optimal training methodologies, (3) Determine microgravity associated changes and (4) Develop intuitive ultrasound catalog to enhance autonomous medical care. Also uses of Ultrasound technology in terrestrial applications are reviewed.

  13. Numerical simulations of clinical focused ultrasound functional neurosurgery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pulkkinen, Aki; Werner, Beat; Martin, Ernst; Hynynen, Kullervo

    2014-04-01

    A computational model utilizing grid and finite difference methods were developed to simulate focused ultrasound functional neurosurgery interventions. The model couples the propagation of ultrasound in fluids (soft tissues) and solids (skull) with acoustic and visco-elastic wave equations. The computational model was applied to simulate clinical focused ultrasound functional neurosurgery treatments performed in patients suffering from therapy resistant chronic neuropathic pain. Datasets of five patients were used to derive the treatment geometry. Eight sonications performed in the treatments were then simulated with the developed model. Computations were performed by driving the simulated phased array ultrasound transducer with the acoustic parameters used in the treatments. Resulting focal temperatures and size of the thermal foci were compared quantitatively, in addition to qualitative inspection of the simulated pressure and temperature fields. This study found that the computational model and the simulation parameters predicted an average of 24 ± 13% lower focal temperature elevations than observed in the treatments. The size of the simulated thermal focus was found to be 40 ± 13% smaller in the anterior-posterior direction and 22 ± 14% smaller in the inferior-superior direction than in the treatments. The location of the simulated thermal focus was off from the prescribed target by 0.3 ± 0.1 mm, while the peak focal temperature elevation observed in the measurements was off by 1.6 ± 0.6 mm. Although the results of the simulations suggest that there could be some inaccuracies in either the tissue parameters used, or in the simulation methods, the simulations were able to predict the focal spot locations and temperature elevations adequately for initial treatment planning performed to assess, for example, the feasibility of sonication. The accuracy of the simulations could be improved if more precise ultrasound tissue properties (especially of the

  14. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... through blood vessels. Ultrasound imaging is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. There are three types of pelvic ultrasound: ...

  15. Assess the discrimination of Achilles InSight calcaneus quantitative ultrasound device for osteoporosis in Chinese women: Compared with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jin Ningning, E-mail: ningning_jin@163.com [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100032 (China); Lin Shouqing, E-mail: Shouqing_Lin2003@yahoo.com.cn [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100032 (China); Zhang Ying, E-mail: steel_lee@sina.com.cn [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100032 (China); Chen Fengling, E-mail: bjzqk@126.com [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100032 (China)

    2010-11-15

    Since the implementation of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) technology may become a part of future clinical decision making to identify osteoporosis and prevent fractures, this study was initiated to evaluate the correlations of QUS parameters and axial bone mineral density (BMD) using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and to assess the discrimination of QUS measurements for osteoporosis and osteopenia defined by WHO criteria. 106 native Chinese women (aged 50.2 {+-} 10.9 SD, 21-74 years) were involved. Each subject received both QUS measurements at left calcaneus with Achilles InSight and DXA measurements with DPX-L at lumbar spine (L{sub 2-4}), total hip and femoral neck. Achilles InSight provided the stiffness index (SI) which derived from Broadband Ultrasound Attenuation (BUA) and Speed of Sound (SOS), and the T-scores of SI were calculated. We found that the QUS parameter SI was statistically significant but medium correlated (r = 0.458-0.587) with DXA at the lumbar spine, total hip and femoral neck (P < 0.0001 for all correlations). With ROC analysis, the area under the ROC curve of diagnosis of osteoporosis and osteopenia were 0.933 and 0.796, respectively. To identify osteoporosis, when the T-score threshold of SI was defined as -1.4, the sensitivity was 100%, and the specificity was 73.7%. Our study confirmed that QUS measurements performed with Achilles InSight were capable to identify osteoporosis defined by axial BMD using DXA in Chinese women.

  16. Assess the discrimination of Achilles InSight calcaneus quantitative ultrasound device for osteoporosis in Chinese women: Compared with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jin Ningning; Lin Shouqing; Zhang Ying; Chen Fengling

    2010-01-01

    Since the implementation of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) technology may become a part of future clinical decision making to identify osteoporosis and prevent fractures, this study was initiated to evaluate the correlations of QUS parameters and axial bone mineral density (BMD) using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and to assess the discrimination of QUS measurements for osteoporosis and osteopenia defined by WHO criteria. 106 native Chinese women (aged 50.2 ± 10.9 SD, 21-74 years) were involved. Each subject received both QUS measurements at left calcaneus with Achilles InSight and DXA measurements with DPX-L at lumbar spine (L 2-4 ), total hip and femoral neck. Achilles InSight provided the stiffness index (SI) which derived from Broadband Ultrasound Attenuation (BUA) and Speed of Sound (SOS), and the T-scores of SI were calculated. We found that the QUS parameter SI was statistically significant but medium correlated (r = 0.458-0.587) with DXA at the lumbar spine, total hip and femoral neck (P < 0.0001 for all correlations). With ROC analysis, the area under the ROC curve of diagnosis of osteoporosis and osteopenia were 0.933 and 0.796, respectively. To identify osteoporosis, when the T-score threshold of SI was defined as -1.4, the sensitivity was 100%, and the specificity was 73.7%. Our study confirmed that QUS measurements performed with Achilles InSight were capable to identify osteoporosis defined by axial BMD using DXA in Chinese women.

  17. PERFORMANCE OF QUANTITATIVE ULTRASOUND AND SIX OSTEOPOROSIS RISK INDEXES IN MENOPAUSAL WOMEN: VALIDATION AND COMPARATIVE EVALUATION STUDY.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Imad GHOZLANI

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: A number of questionnaire-based systems and the use of portable quantitative ultrasound scanners (QUS have been devised in an attempt to produce a cost-effective method of screening for osteoporosis.Objective: to assess the sensitivity and specificity of different techniques and their ability to act as screening tools in relation to dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA.Methods: 295 white postmenopausal women aged over 60 were enrolled. Each subject completed a standardized questionnaire which permits the measure of six osteoporosis indexes and had bone mineral density (BMD measured using QUS and DXA. Sensitivity and specificity of the different techniques in relation to DXA were plotted as receiver-operating characteristic (ROC curves at DXA T-score total hip ≤ -2.5 (osteoporosis.Results: BUA sensitivity and specificity values were respectively 76.8% and 51.2% at the total hip. The optimal cut-off T-score for QUS was -2 at the total hip. The osteoporosis self-assessment tool (OST provided consistently the highest AUC (0.80 among the clinical tools and had the best sensitivity and specificity balance (90.2%-44.5%. OST negative likelihood ratio was 0.22.Conclusion: OST (based only on the weight and the age performed slightly better than QUS and other risk questionnaires in predicting low BMD at the total hip

  18. Investigation into the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of choroidal melanoma through magnetic resonance imaging and B-scan ultrasound.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papayiannis, Vassilis; Tsaousis, Konstantinos T; Kouskouras, Constantinos A; Haritanti, Afroditi; Diakonis, Vasilios F; Tsinopoulos, Ioannis T

    2017-01-01

    To investigate the homogeneity and vascularity of choroidal melanoma through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and brightness modulation (B-mode) ultrasound scan and their correlation with dimensions of tumor, as well as to measure the sensitivity of both modalities in retinal detachment (RD) detection. This retrospective chart review included patients diagnosed with choroidal melanoma. All these patients underwent MRI scans using T2-weighted (T2-WI) and T1-weighted (T1-WI) sequences, before and after an intravenous injection of paramagnetic contrast material. The patients were also examined using a B-mode ultrasound scan, and the results from both modalities were compared (tumor homogeneity, tumor height, tumor base diameter, and tumor vascularity). Forty-two patients (mean age=65.33±12.51 years) with choroidal melanoma were included in the study. Homogeneity was confirmed in 16 patients through ultrasound scan, in 19 patients through T1-WI sequence, in 21 patients through T2-WI sequence, and in 25 patients through T1-WI sequence + contrast (gadolinium). Patients with homogenous tumors presented with lower ( P =0.0045) mean height than that of those with nonhomogenous tumors, whereas no statistically significant difference was found for base diameter measurements ( P =0.056). Patients with tumors of high vascularity presented with greater mean height ( P =0.000638) and greater mean base diameter compared with those with tumors of low vascularity ( P =0.019543). RD was detected in 26 patients through T1-WI sequence, in 13 patients through T2-WI sequence, in 26 patients through T1-WI sequence + contrast, and in 32 patients through ultrasound scan, which proved to be the most sensitive modality. The height of choroidal melanoma was positively correlated with tumor's homogeneity. Melanomas of greater height were found to be less homogenous, due to increased degeneration and higher occurrence of intratumoral hemorrhage. In addition, choroidal melanoma's height was also

  19. Ultrasound elastography as an objective diagnostic measurement tool for lymphoedema of the treated breast in breast cancer patients following breast conserving surgery and radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adriaenssens, Nele; Belsack, Dries; Buyl, Ronald; Ruggiero, Leonardo; Breucq, Catherine; De Mey, Johan; Lievens, Pierre; Lamote, Jan

    2012-01-01

    Lymphoedema of the operated and irradiated breast is a common complication following early breast cancer treatment. There is no consensus on objective diagnostic criteria and standard measurement tools. This study investigates the use of ultrasound elastography as an objective quantitative measurement tool for the diagnosis of parenchymal breast oedema. The elasticity ratio of the subcutis, measured with ultrasound elastography, was compared with high-frequency ultrasound parameters and subjective symptoms in twenty patients, bilaterally, prior to and following breast conserving surgery and breast irradiation. Elasticity ratio of the subcutis of the operated breast following radiation therapy increased in 88.9% of patients, was significantly higher than prior to surgery, unlike the non operated breast and significantly higher than the non operated breast, unlike preoperative results. These results were significantly correlated with visibility of the echogenic line, measured with high-frequency ultrasound. Big preoperative bra cup size was a significant risk factor for the development of breast oedema. Ultrasound elastography is an objective quantitative measurement tool for the diagnosis of parenchymal breast oedema, in combination with other objective diagnostic criteria. Further research with longer follow-up and more patients is necessary to confirm our findings

  20. General Ultrasound Imaging

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... transducer sends out high-frequency sound waves (that the human ear cannot hear) into the body and then ... ultrasound , there are no known harmful effects on humans. top of page What are the limitations of General Ultrasound Imaging? Ultrasound waves are ...

  1. Clinical diagnostic ultrasound

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnett, E.; Morley, P.

    1986-01-01

    This textbook on diagnostic ultrasound covers the main systems, with emphasis being placed on the clinical application of diagnostic ultrasound in everyday practice. It provides not only a textbook for postgraduates (particularly FRCR candidates), but also a reference work for practitioners of clinical ultrasound and clinicians generally

  2. Cavitation and contrast: the use of bubbles in ultrasound imaging and therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stride, E P; Coussios, C C

    2010-01-01

    Microbubbles and cavitation are playing an increasingly significant role in both diagnostic and therapeutic applications of ultrasound. Microbubble ultrasound contrast agents have been in clinical use now for more than two decades, stimulating the development of a range of new contrast-specific imaging techniques which offer substantial benefits in echocardiography, microcirculatory imaging, and more recently, quantitative and molecular imaging. In drug delivery and gene therapy, microbubbles are being investigated/developed as vehicles which can be loaded with the required therapeutic agent, traced to the target site using diagnostic ultrasound, and then destroyed with ultrasound of higher intensity energy burst to release the material locally, thus avoiding side effects associated with systemic administration, e.g. of toxic chemotherapy. It has moreover been shown that the motion of the microbubbles increases the permeability of both individual cell membranes and the endothelium, thus enhancing therapeutic uptake, and can locally increase the activity of drugs by enhancing their transport across biologically inaccessible interfaces such as blood clots or solid tumours. In high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) surgery and lithotripsy, controlled cavitation is being investigated as a means of increasing the speed and efficacy of the treatment. The aim of this paper is both to describe the key features of the physical behaviour of acoustically driven bubbles which underlie their effectiveness in biomedical applications and to review the current state of the art.

  3. Therapeutic ultrasound

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crum, Lawrence A

    2004-01-01

    The use of ultrasound in medicine is now quite commonplace, especially with the recent introduction of small, portable and relatively inexpensive, hand-held diagnostic imaging devices. Moreover, ultrasound has expanded beyond the imaging realm, with methods and applications extending to novel therapeutic and surgical uses. These applications broadly include: tissue ablation, acoustocautery, lipoplasty, site-specific and ultrasound mediated drug activity, extracorporeal lithotripsy, and the enhancement of natural physiological functions such as wound healing and tissue regeneration. A particularly attractive aspect of this technology is that diagnostic and therapeutic systems can be combined to produce totally non-invasive, imageguided therapy. This general lecture will review a number of these exciting new applications of ultrasound and address some of the basic scientific questions and future challenges in developing these methods and technologies for general use in our society. We shall particularly emphasize the use of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) in the treatment of benign and malignant tumors as well as the introduction of acoustic hemostasis, especially in organs which are difficult to treat using conventional medical and surgical techniques. (amum lecture)

  4. Standards of the Polish Ultrasound Society – update. Ultrasound examination of thyroid gland and ultrasound-guided thyroid biopsy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Trzebińska

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Ultrasonography is a primary imaging technique in patients with suspected thyroid disease. It allows to assess the location, size and echostructures of the thyroid gland as well as detect focal lesions, along with indication of their size, echogenicity, echostructure and vascularity. Based on these features, ultrasound examination allows to predict abnormal focal lesions for biopsy and monitor the biopsy needle track. This paper presents the standards of thyroid ultrasound examination regarding ultrasound apparatus technical requirements, scanning techniques, readings, measurements, and the description of the examination. It discusses the ultrasound features of increased malignancy risk in focal lesions (nodules found in the thyroid gland. It presents indications for fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid gland for the visibility of single nodules (focal lesions and numerous lesions as well as discusses contraindications for thyroid biopsy. It describes the biopsy technique, possible complications and rules for post-biopsy monitoring of benign lesions. The paper is an update of the Standards of the Polish Ultrasound Society issued in 2011. It has been prepared on the basis of current literature, taking into account the information contained in the following publications: Thyroid ultrasound examination and Recommendations of the Polish Ultrasound Society for the performance of the FNAB of the thyroid.

  5. The role for peer-assisted ultrasound teaching in medical school.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickerson, Jonathan; Paul, Katie; Vila, Pierre; Whiticar, Rebecca

    2017-06-01

    Bedside ultrasonography has an increasing role in medicine yet medical students have limited exposure. Although countless hours are devoted to plain radiograph and electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation, ultrasound is frequently glossed over. Yet this imaging modality could enhance students' understanding of anatomy, physiology and pathology, and may increase their integration into hospital teams. We aimed to investigate whether a peer-assisted ultrasound course has a place within the undergraduate medical curriculum. We describe the implementation of a course and discuss its acceptability and utility in student education. Bedside ultrasonography has an increasing role in medicine yet medical students have limited exposure METHODS: Following consultation with the medical school, an improved ultrasonography course was developed with expert guidance from an ultrasonographer and with new equipment. Sessions involved peer-tutors teaching ultrasonography techniques to medical students during emergency medicine placements. Tutees completed questionnaires to assess the quality and perceived benefits of the course and of learning ultrasonography. Both quantitative and thematic analyses of the responses were conducted by the authors. Over a period of 8 months, 105 medical students received teaching across four sessions. A total of 103 students (98%) returned questionnaires on their evaluation of the course and tutors, and on their confidence in using ultrasound. Ninety-eight per cent felt that the teaching was well delivered, 100 per cent felt that their knowledge of ultrasound had improved and 100 per cent would recommend the course. The peer-assisted ultrasound course described here enabled the majority of students to feel confident gaining elementary ultrasound views, and performing abdominal aneurysm screening and trauma assessments: techniques that they could hopefully put to use during their placements. The peer-assisted model has an acceptable role in teaching

  6. Comb-push ultrasound shear elastography of breast masses: initial results show promise.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Max Denis

    Full Text Available To evaluate the performance of Comb-push Ultrasound Shear Elastography (CUSE for classification of breast masses.CUSE is an ultrasound-based quantitative two-dimensional shear wave elasticity imaging technique, which utilizes multiple laterally distributed acoustic radiation force (ARF beams to simultaneously excite the tissue and induce shear waves. Female patients who were categorized as having suspicious breast masses underwent CUSE evaluations prior to biopsy. An elasticity estimate within the breast mass was obtained from the CUSE shear wave speed map. Elasticity estimates of various types of benign and malignant masses were compared with biopsy results.Fifty-four female patients with suspicious breast masses from our ongoing study are presented. Our cohort included 31 malignant and 23 benign breast masses. Our results indicate that the mean shear wave speed was significantly higher in malignant masses (6 ± 1.58 m/s in comparison to benign masses (3.65 ± 1.36 m/s. Therefore, the stiffness of the mass quantified by the Young's modulus is significantly higher in malignant masses. According to the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC, the optimal cut-off value of 83 kPa yields 87.10% sensitivity, 82.61% specificity, and 0.88 for the area under the curve (AUC.CUSE has the potential for clinical utility as a quantitative diagnostic imaging tool adjunct to B-mode ultrasound for differentiation of malignant and benign breast masses.

  7. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... is used to evaluate the: bladder seminal vesicles prostate Transrectal ultrasound, a special study usually done to provide detailed evaluation of the prostate gland, involves inserting a specialized ultrasound transducer into ...

  8. Obstetrical Ultrasound

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... heartbeat can be seen as an ongoing ultrasound movie. Ultrasound devices also use Doppler, a special application ... the possible charges you will incur. Web page review process: This Web page is reviewed regularly by ...

  9. Ultrasound imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wells, P.N.T.

    1983-01-01

    Ultrasound is a form of energy which consists of mechanical vibrations the frequencies of which are so high that they are above the range of human hearing. The lower frequency limit of the ultrasonic spectrum may generally be taken to be about 20 kHz. Most biomedical applications of ultrasound employ frequencies in the range 1-15 MHz. At these frequencies, the wavelength is in the range 1.5 - 0.1 mm in soft tissues, and narrow beams of ultrasound can be generated which propagate through such tissues without excessive attenuation. This chapter begins with brief reviews of the physics of diagnostic ultrasound pulse-echo imaging methods and Doppler imaging methods. The remainder of the chapter is a resume of the applications of ultrasonic imaging to physiological measurement

  10. Investigation into the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of choroidal melanoma through magnetic resonance imaging and B-scan ultrasound

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Papayiannis V

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Vassilis Papayiannis,1 Konstantinos T Tsaousis,2,3 Constantinos A Kouskouras,4 Afroditi Haritanti,4 Vasilios F Diakonis,5 Ioannis T Tsinopoulos2 1Department of Radiology, Papageorgiou General Hospital, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; 3John A Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; 4Department of Radiology, AHEPA Aristotle University Hospital of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; 5Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA Objective: To investigate the homogeneity and vascularity of choroidal melanoma through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI and brightness modulation (B-mode ultrasound scan and their correlation with dimensions of tumor, as well as to measure the sensitivity of both modalities in retinal detachment (RD detection.Materials and methods: This retrospective chart review included patients diagnosed with choroidal melanoma. All these patients underwent MRI scans using T2-weighted (T2-WI and T1-weighted (T1-WI sequences, before and after an intravenous injection of paramagnetic contrast material. The patients were also examined using a B-mode ultrasound scan, and the results from both modalities were compared (tumor homogeneity, tumor height, tumor base diameter, and tumor vascularity.Results: Forty-two patients (mean age =65.33±12.51 years with choroidal melanoma were included in the study. Homogeneity was confirmed in 16 patients through ultrasound scan, in 19 patients through T1-WI sequence, in 21 patients through T2-WI sequence, and in 25 patients through T1-WI sequence + contrast (gadolinium. Patients with homogenous tumors presented with lower (P=0.0045 mean height than that of those with nonhomogenous tumors, whereas no statistically significant difference was found for base diameter measurements (P=0.056. Patients with tumors of high vascularity presented with greater mean height (P=0.000638 and

  11. Bone status in rheumatoid arthritis assessed at peripheral sites by three different quantitative ultrasound devices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, O R; Suetta, C; Egsmose, C

    2004-01-01

    sites in 27 women with RA (mean disease duration 15 years) and in 36 healthy women matched for age, height and weight. Speed of sound (SOS, m/s), broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA, dB/MHz) and stiffness of the calcaneus were assessed by a Lunar Achilles device. Amplitude-dependent SOS (Ad-SOS, m...

  12. Delay and Standard Deviation Beamforming to Enhance Specular Reflections in Ultrasound Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bandaru, Raja Sekhar; Sornes, Anders Rasmus; Hermans, Jeroen; Samset, Eigil; D'hooge, Jan

    2016-12-01

    Although interventional devices, such as needles, guide wires, and catheters, are best visualized by X-ray, real-time volumetric echography could offer an attractive alternative as it avoids ionizing radiation; it provides good soft tissue contrast, and it is mobile and relatively cheap. Unfortunately, as echography is traditionally used to image soft tissue and blood flow, the appearance of interventional devices in conventional ultrasound images remains relatively poor, which is a major obstacle toward ultrasound-guided interventions. The objective of this paper was therefore to enhance the appearance of interventional devices in ultrasound images. Thereto, a modified ultrasound beamforming process using conventional-focused transmit beams is proposed that exploits the properties of received signals containing specular reflections (as arising from these devices). This new beamforming approach referred to as delay and standard deviation beamforming (DASD) was quantitatively tested using simulated as well as experimental data using a linear array transducer. Furthermore, the influence of different imaging settings (i.e., transmit focus, imaging depth, and scan angle) on the obtained image contrast was evaluated. The study showed that the image contrast of specular regions improved by 5-30 dB using DASD beamforming compared with traditional delay and sum (DAS) beamforming. The highest gain in contrast was observed when the interventional device was tilted away from being orthogonal to the transmit beam, which is a major limitation in standard DAS imaging. As such, the proposed beamforming methodology can offer an improved visualization of interventional devices in the ultrasound image with potential implications for ultrasound-guided interventions.

  13. High-frequency ultrasound evaluation of cellulite treated with the 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bousquet-Rouaud, Regine; Bazan, Marie; Chaintreuil, Jean; Echague, Agustina Vila

    2009-03-01

    To investigate non-invasive laser treatment for cellulite using the 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser and to correlate clinical results with high-frequency skin ultrasound images. Twelve individuals of normal weight were treated on either the left or right posterior side of the thigh with the following parameters: fluence 30 J/cm, 18 mm spot size and dynamic cooling device pulse duration of 30 ms. Three treatments were performed at intervals of 3-4 weeks, and followed-up 1 and 3 months after the last session. Photographs and ultrasound imaging were assessed before each session. The 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser resulted in a tightening of the skin and an improvement in cellulite. No side effects were reported. High-resolution ultrasound imaging showed a significant improvement in dermis density and a reduction of dermis thickness. The method is described in detail in Appendix 1. Infra-red lasers may constitute a safe and effective treatment for cellulite and high-frequency ultrasound imaging provides a quantitative and objective measurement of the treatment efficacy.

  14. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available Toggle navigation Test/Treatment Patient Type Screening/Wellness Disease/Condition Safety En Español More Info Images/Videos About Us News Physician Resources Professions Site Index A-Z Ultrasound - Pelvis Ultrasound imaging ...

  15. Prostate Ultrasound

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    Full Text Available Toggle navigation Test/Treatment Patient Type Screening/Wellness Disease/Condition Safety En Español More Info Images/Videos About Us News Physician Resources Professions Site Index A-Z Ultrasound - Prostate Ultrasound of ...

  16. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... needles are used to extract a sample of cells from organs for laboratory testing. Doppler ultrasound images ... ultrasound, measures the direction and speed of blood cells as they move through vessels. The movement of ...

  17. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... insertion. top of page How does the procedure work? Ultrasound imaging is based on the same principles ... modality for the diagnosis and monitoring of pregnant women and their unborn babies. Ultrasound provides real-time ...

  18. Prostate Ultrasound

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    Full Text Available ... top of page What are the benefits vs. risks? Benefits Ultrasound is widely available, easy-to-use ... procedures such as needle biopsies and fluid aspiration. Risks For standard diagnostic ultrasound , there are no known ...

  19. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... the procedure? In women, a pelvic ultrasound is most often performed to evaluate the: uterus cervix ovaries ... page How is the procedure performed? Transabdominal: For most ultrasound exams, you will be positioned lying face- ...

  20. Prostate Ultrasound

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    Full Text Available ... to-use and less expensive than other imaging methods. Ultrasound imaging uses no ionizing radiation. Ultrasound scanning ... radiation oncology provider in your community, you can search the ACR-accredited facilities database . This website does ...

  1. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... diagnose symptoms experienced by women such as: pelvic pain abnormal vaginal bleeding other menstrual problems Ultrasound exams ... pelvic ultrasound can help evaluate: pelvic masses pelvic pain ambiguous genitalia and anomalies of pelvic organs early ...

  2. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... size, shape and consistency (whether the object is solid or filled with fluid). In medicine, ultrasound is ... ultrasound, measures the direction and speed of blood cells as they move through vessels. The movement of ...

  3. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... by women such as: pelvic pain abnormal vaginal bleeding other menstrual problems Ultrasound exams also help identify: ... fibroids cancer, especially in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding Some physicians also use 3-D ultrasound or ...

  4. Prostate Ultrasound

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    Full Text Available ... those sound waves to create an image. Ultrasound examinations do not use ionizing radiation (as used in ... abnormal masses, such as tumors. In an ultrasound examination, a transducer both sends the sound waves into ...

  5. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... There are three types of pelvic ultrasound: abdominal, vaginal (for women), and rectal (for men). These exams ... are three types of pelvic ultrasound: abdominal ( transabdominal ) vaginal ( transvaginal / endovaginal ) for women rectal ( transrectal ) for men ...

  6. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... object is solid or filled with fluid). In medicine, ultrasound is used to detect changes in appearance, ... have special pediatric considerations. The teddy bear denotes child-specific content. Related Articles and Media Sonohysterography Ultrasound - ...

  7. Prostate Ultrasound

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    Full Text Available ... and produces pictures of the inside of the body using sound waves. Ultrasound imaging, also called ultrasound ... from the probe through the gel into the body. The transducer collects the sounds that bounce back ...

  8. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... and produces pictures of the inside of the body using sound waves. Ultrasound imaging, also called ultrasound ... from the probe through the gel into the body. The transducer collects the sounds that bounce back ...

  9. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... investigation of the uterine cavity . Three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound permits evaluation of the uterus and ovaries ... abnormal uterine bleeding Some physicians also use 3-D ultrasound or sonohysterography for patients with infertility. In ...

  10. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... insertion. top of page How does the procedure work? Ultrasound imaging is based on the same principles ... have special pediatric considerations. The teddy bear denotes child-specific content. Related Articles and Media Sonohysterography Ultrasound - ...

  11. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... Imaging? Ultrasound waves are disrupted by air or gas; therefore ultrasound is not an ideal imaging technique ... page Additional Information and Resources RTAnswers.org Radiation Therapy for Gynecologic Cancers Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer ...

  12. Prostate Ultrasound

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    Full Text Available ... of page What will I experience during and after the procedure? Ultrasound exams in which the transducer ... in the sperm or urine following the procedure. After an ultrasound examination, you should be able to ...

  13. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... Ultrasound is the preferred imaging modality for the diagnosis and monitoring of pregnant women and their unborn ... sexes without x-ray exposure. Risks For standard diagnostic ultrasound , there are no known harmful effects on ...

  14. Prostate Ultrasound

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    Full Text Available ... ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show the structure and movement of the body's ... Because ultrasound provides real-time images, it also can be used to guide procedures such as needle ...

  15. Prostate Ultrasound

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    Full Text Available ... patient. Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show the structure and movement of ... test result. difficulty urinating. Because ultrasound provides real-time images, it also can be used to guide ...

  16. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... patient. Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show the structure and movement of ... help to distract the child and make the time pass quickly. The ultrasound exam room may have ...

  17. Prostate Ultrasound

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    Full Text Available ... Ultrasound provides real-time imaging, making it a good tool for guiding minimally invasive procedures such as ... bowel (rectum) removed during prior surgery are not good candidates for ultrasound of the prostate gland because ...

  18. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... image. Ultrasound examinations do not use ionizing radiation (as used in x-rays ), thus there is no ... structure and movement of the body's internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels. Ultrasound ...

  19. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... and development of an embryo or fetus during pregnancy. See the Obstetrical Ultrasound page for more information . ... object is solid or filled with fluid). In medicine, ultrasound is used to detect changes in appearance, ...

  20. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... menstrual problems Ultrasound exams also help identify: palpable masses such as ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids ovarian ... In children, pelvic ultrasound can help evaluate: pelvic masses pelvic pain ambiguous genitalia and anomalies of pelvic ...

  1. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... most ultrasound exams, you will be positioned lying face-up on an examination table that can be ... region of the prostate. A biopsy will add time to the procedure. If a Doppler ultrasound study ...

  2. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... ultrasound: abdominal, vaginal (for women), and rectal (for men). These exams are frequently used to evaluate the ... vaginal ( transvaginal / endovaginal ) for women rectal ( transrectal ) for men A Doppler ultrasound exam may be part of ...

  3. Clinical Utility of Ultrasound Measurements of Plantar Fascia Width and Cross-Sectional AreaA Novel Technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bisi-Balogun, Adebisi; Rector, Michael

    2017-09-01

    We sought to develop a standardized protocol for ultrasound (US) measurements of plantar fascia (PF) width and cross-sectional area (CSA), which may serve as additional outcome variables during US examinations of both healthy asymptomatic PF and in plantar fasciopathy and determine its interrater and intrarater reliability. Ten healthy individuals (20 feet) were enrolled. Participants were assessed twice by two raters each to determine intrarater and interrater reliability. For each foot, three transverse scans of the central bundle of the PF were taken at its insertion at the medial calcaneal tubercle, identified in real time on the plantar surface of the foot, using a fine wire technique. Reliability was determined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), standard errors of measurement (SEM), and limits of agreement (LOA) expressed as percentages of the mean. Reliability of PF width and CSA measurements was determined using PF width and CSA measurements from one sonogram measured once and the mean of three measurements from three sonograms each measured once. Ultrasound measurements of PF width and CSA showed a mean of 18.6 ± 2.0 mm and 69.20 ± 13.6 mm 2 respectively. Intra-reliability within both raters showed an ICC > 0.84 for width and ICC > 0.92 for CSA as well as a SEM% and LOA% < 10% for both width and CSA. Inter-rater reliability showed an ICC of 0.82 for width and 0.87 for CSA as well as a SEM% and LOA% < 10% for width and a SEM% < 10% and LOA% < 20% for CSA. Relative and absolute reliability within and between raters were higher when using the mean of three sonographs compared to one sonograph. Using this novel technique, PF CSA and width may be determined reliably using measurements from one sonogram or the mean of three sonograms. Measurement of PF CSA and width in addition to already established thickness and echogenicity measurements provides additional information on structural properties of the PF for clinicians and researchers in healthy

  4. Combination of diagnostic medial calcaneal nerve block followed by pulsed radiofrequency for plantar fascitis pain: A new modality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deepak Thapa

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Plantar fasciitis (PF is the most common cause of chronic heel pain which may be bilateral in 20 to 30% of patients. It is a very painful and disabling condition which can affect the quality of life. The management includes both pharmacological and operative procedures with no single proven effective treatment modality. In the present case series, we managed three patients with PF (one with bilateral PF. Following a diagnostic medial calcaneal nerve (MCN block at its origin, we observed reduction in verbal numerical rating scale (VNRS in all the three patients. Two patients has relapse of PF pain which was managed with MCN block followed with pulsed radio frequency (PRF. All the patients were pain-free at the time of reporting. This case series highlights the possible role of combination of diagnostic MCN block near its origin followed with PRF as a new modality in management of patients with PF.

  5. Combination of diagnostic medial calcaneal nerve block followed by pulsed radiofrequency for plantar fascitis pain: A new modality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thapa, Deepak; Ahuja, Vanita

    2014-01-01

    Plantar fasciitis (PF) is the most common cause of chronic heel pain which may be bilateral in 20 to 30% of patients. It is a very painful and disabling condition which can affect the quality of life. The management includes both pharmacological and operative procedures with no single proven effective treatment modality. In the present case series, we managed three patients with PF (one with bilateral PF). Following a diagnostic medial calcaneal nerve (MCN) block at its origin, we observed reduction in verbal numerical rating scale (VNRS) in all the three patients. Two patients has relapse of PF pain which was managed with MCN block followed with pulsed radio frequency (PRF). All the patients were pain-free at the time of reporting. This case series highlights the possible role of combination of diagnostic MCN block near its origin followed with PRF as a new modality in management of patients with PF. PMID:24963184

  6. The effect of gait velocity on calcaneal balance at heel strike; Implications for orthotic prescription in injury prevention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shanthikumar, Shivanthan; Low, Zi; Falvey, Eanna; McCrory, Paul; Franklyn-Miller, Andy

    2010-01-01

    Exercise related lower limb injuries (ERLLI), are common in the recreational and competitive sporting population. Although ERLLI are thought to be multi-factorial in aetiology, one of the critical predisposing factors is known to gait abnormality. There is little published evidence comparing walking and running gait in the same subjects, and no evidence on the effect of gait velocity on calcaneal pronation, even though this may have implications for orthotic prescription and injury prevention. In this study, the walking and running gait of 50 physically active subjects was assessed using pressure plate analysis. The results show that rearfoot pronation occurs on foot contact in both running and walking gait, and that there is significantly more rearfoot pronation in walking gait (prunning vs. walking gait. The findings of this study suggest that in the athletic population orthoses prescription should be based on dynamic assessment of running gait. Crown Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Prostate Ultrasound

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... pictures of a man’s prostate gland and to help diagnose symptoms such as difficulty urinating or an ... Ultrasound imaging is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. Prostate ultrasound, ...

  8. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids ovarian or uterine cancers A transvaginal ultrasound is usually performed to view the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) and the ovaries. Transvaginal ultrasound also evaluates the myometrium (muscular walls ...

  9. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... Obstetric Ultrasound Ultrasound - Prostate Kidney and Bladder Stones Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding ... questions or for a referral to a radiologist or other physician. To locate a medical imaging or radiation oncology provider in your community, you ...

  10. Ultrasound directed self-assembly of three-dimensional user-specified patterns of particles in a fluid medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prisbrey, M.; Greenhall, J.; Guevara Vasquez, F.; Raeymaekers, B.

    2017-01-01

    We use ultrasound directed self-assembly to organize particles dispersed in a fluid medium into a three-dimensional (3D) user-specified pattern. The technique employs ultrasound transducers that line the boundary of a fluid reservoir to create a standing ultrasound wave field. The acoustic radiation force associated with the wave field drives particles dispersed in the fluid medium into organized patterns, assuming that the particles are much smaller than the wavelength and do not interact with each other. We have theoretically derived a direct solution method to calculate the ultrasound transducer operating parameters that are required to assemble a user-specified 3D pattern of particles in a fluid reservoir of arbitrary geometry. We formulate the direct solution method as a constrained optimization problem that reduces to eigendecomposition. We experimentally validate the solution method by assembling 3D patterns of carbon nanoparticles in a water reservoir and observe good quantitative agreement between theory and experiment. Additionally, we demonstrate the versatility of the solution method by simulating ultrasound directed self-assembly of complex 3D patterns of particles. The method works for any 3D simple, closed fluid reservoir geometry in combination with any arrangement of ultrasound transducers and enables employing ultrasound directed self-assembly in a myriad of engineering applications, including biomedical and materials fabrication processes.

  11. A deconvolution method for deriving the transit time spectrum for ultrasound propagation through cancellous bone replica models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langton, Christian M; Wille, Marie-Luise; Flegg, Mark B

    2014-04-01

    The acceptance of broadband ultrasound attenuation for the assessment of osteoporosis suffers from a limited understanding of ultrasound wave propagation through cancellous bone. It has recently been proposed that the ultrasound wave propagation can be described by a concept of parallel sonic rays. This concept approximates the detected transmission signal to be the superposition of all sonic rays that travel directly from transmitting to receiving transducer. The transit time of each ray is defined by the proportion of bone and marrow propagated. An ultrasound transit time spectrum describes the proportion of sonic rays having a particular transit time, effectively describing lateral inhomogeneity of transit times over the surface of the receiving ultrasound transducer. The aim of this study was to provide a proof of concept that a transit time spectrum may be derived from digital deconvolution of input and output ultrasound signals. We have applied the active-set method deconvolution algorithm to determine the ultrasound transit time spectra in the three orthogonal directions of four cancellous bone replica samples and have compared experimental data with the prediction from the computer simulation. The agreement between experimental and predicted ultrasound transit time spectrum analyses derived from Bland-Altman analysis ranged from 92% to 99%, thereby supporting the concept of parallel sonic rays for ultrasound propagation in cancellous bone. In addition to further validation of the parallel sonic ray concept, this technique offers the opportunity to consider quantitative characterisation of the material and structural properties of cancellous bone, not previously available utilising ultrasound.

  12. Prostate Ultrasound

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    Full Text Available ... Ultrasound is safe, noninvasive, and does not use ionizing radiation. This procedure requires little to no special preparation. ... create an image. Ultrasound examinations do not use ionizing radiation (as used in x-rays ), thus there is ...

  13. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... Ultrasound is safe, noninvasive and does not use ionizing radiation. This procedure requires little to no special preparation. ... create an image. Ultrasound examinations do not use ionizing radiation (as used in x-rays ), thus there is ...

  14. Prostate Ultrasound

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    Full Text Available ... the patient. Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show the structure and movement of ... blood test result. difficulty urinating. Because ultrasound provides real-time images, it also can be used to guide ...

  15. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels. Ultrasound imaging is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. There are three types of pelvic ultrasound: abdominal ( transabdominal ) vaginal ( transvaginal / endovaginal ) ...

  16. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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    Full Text Available ... to-use and less expensive than other imaging methods. Ultrasound imaging is extremely safe and does not use any ionizing radiation. Ultrasound scanning gives a clear picture of soft tissues that do not show up well on ...

  17. Qualitative and quantitative ultrasound assessment of gastric content

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flora Margarida Barra Bisinotto

    Full Text Available Summary Objective: Pulmonary aspiration of the gastric contents is one of the most feared complications in anesthesia. Its prevention depends on preoperative fasting as well as identification of risky patients. A reliable diagnostic tool to assess gastric volume is currently lacking. The aim of this study performed on volunteers was to evaluate the feasibility of ultrasonography to identify qualitative and quantitative gastric content. Method: A standardized gastric scanning protocol was applied on 67 healthy volunteers to assess the gastric antrum in four different situations: fasting, after ingesting clear fluid, milk and a solid meal. A qualitative and quantitative assessment of the gastric content in the antrum was performed by a blinded sonographer. The antrum was considered either as empty, or containing clear or thick fluid, or solids. Total gastric volume was predicted based on a cross-sectional area of the antrum. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: For each type of gastric content, the sonographic characteristics of the antrum and its content were described and illustrated. Sonographic qualitative assessment allowed to distinguish between an empty stomach and one with different kinds of meal. The predicted gastric volume was significantly larger after the consumption of any food source compared to fasting. Conclusion: Bedside sonography can determine the nature of gastric content. It is also possible to estimate the difference between an empty gastric antrum and one that has some food in it. Such information may be useful to estimate the risk of aspiration, particularly in situations when prandial status is unknown or uncertain.

  18. Qualitative and quantitative ultrasound assessment of gastric content.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bisinotto, Flora Margarida Barra; Pansani, Patrícia Luísa; Silveira, Luciano Alves Matias da; Naves, Aline de Araújo; Peixoto, Ana Cristina Abdu; Lima, Hellen Moreira de; Martins, Laura Bisinotto

    2017-02-01

    Pulmonary aspiration of the gastric contents is one of the most feared complications in anesthesia. Its prevention depends on preoperative fasting as well as identification of risky patients. A reliable diagnostic tool to assess gastric volume is currently lacking. The aim of this study performed on volunteers was to evaluate the feasibility of ultrasonography to identify qualitative and quantitative gastric content. A standardized gastric scanning protocol was applied on 67 healthy volunteers to assess the gastric antrum in four different situations: fasting, after ingesting clear fluid, milk and a solid meal. A qualitative and quantitative assessment of the gastric content in the antrum was performed by a blinded sonographer. The antrum was considered either as empty, or containing clear or thick fluid, or solids. Total gastric volume was predicted based on a cross-sectional area of the antrum. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. For each type of gastric content, the sonographic characteristics of the antrum and its content were described and illustrated. Sonographic qualitative assessment allowed to distinguish between an empty stomach and one with different kinds of meal. The predicted gastric volume was significantly larger after the consumption of any food source compared to fasting. Bedside sonography can determine the nature of gastric content. It is also possible to estimate the difference between an empty gastric antrum and one that has some food in it. Such information may be useful to estimate the risk of aspiration, particularly in situations when prandial status is unknown or uncertain.

  19. Ultrasound stethoscopy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    E.C. Vourvouri (Eleni)

    2002-01-01

    textabstractIn this thesis we repmi the many evaluation studies with the hand-held ultrasound device in the assessment of different cardiac pathologies and in different clinical settings. The reason for using the tetm "ultrasound stethoscopy" is that these devices are augmenting our

  20. Ultrasound -- Pelvis

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available Toggle navigation Test/Treatment Patient Type Screening/Wellness Disease/Condition Safety En Español More Info Images/Videos About Us News Physician Resources Professions Site Index A-Z Ultrasound - Pelvis Ultrasound imaging of the pelvis uses sound waves to ...

  1. Ultrasound therapy for recalcitrant diabetic foot ulcers: results of a randomized, double-blind, controlled, multicenter study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ennis, William J; Foremann, Phil; Mozen, Neal; Massey, Joi; Conner-Kerr, Teresa; Meneses, Patricio

    2005-08-01

    An estimated 15% of patients with diabetes will develop a foot ulcer sometime in their life, making them 30 to 40 times more likely to undergo amputation due to a non-healing foot ulcer than the non-diabetic population. To determine the safety and efficacy of a new, non-contact, kilohertz ultrasound therapy for the healing of recalcitrant diabetic foot ulcers - as well as to evaluate the impact on total closure and quantitative bacterial cultures and the effect on healing of various levels of sharp/surgical debridement - a randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled, multicenter study was conducted in hospital-based and private wound care clinics. Patients (55 met criteria for efficacy analysis) received standard of care, which included products that provide a moist environment, offloading diabetic shoes and socks, debridement, wound evaluation, and measurement. The "therapy" was either active 40 KHz ultrasound delivered by a saline mist or a "sham device" which delivered a saline mist without the use of ultrasound. After 12 weeks of care, the proportion of wounds healed (defined as complete epithelialization without drainage) in the active ultrasound therapy device group was significantly higher than that in the sham control group (40.7% versus 14.3%, P = 0.0366, Fisher's exact test). The ultrasound treatment was easy to use and no difference in the number and type of adverse events between the two treatment groups was noted. Of interest, wounds were debrided at baseline followed by a quantitative culture biopsy. The results of these cultures demonstrated a significant bioburden (greater than 10(5)) in the majority of cases, despite a lack of clinical signs of infection. Compared to control, this therapeutic modality was found to increase the healing rate of recalcitrant, diabetic foot ulcers.

  2. Study on a New Ultraviolet Sterilizer to the Surface Disinfection of the Ultrasound Probe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Gui Qiu; Chen, Yu Hao; Yi, Liang; Yin, Jin; Gao, Qiong; Song, Jiang Nan; Li, Shi Kang; Chen, Pei Hou; Guo, Gui Ping

    2018-02-01

    We studied the disinfection effect of a new ultraviolet (UV) sterilizer and its utilization on ultrasound probe surfaces. Carrier quantitative germicidal tests, simulated on-the-spot trials, and organic substance influence tests were used to carry out experimental observation. Artificially infected probes were disinfected using the sterilizer or a germicidal lamp for comparison. The total number and types of bacteria were determined and identified. Our results demonstrated the sterilizer had the best disinfection effect among three different disinfection methods in hospital. The sterilizer has been used in a hospital setting for 2 years with no notable damage to the ultrasound probe instrument. It has the advantages of fast disinfection, high disinfection effect, and good compatibility with the ultrasound instrument, worthy of being a promoted application in medical institutions. Copyright © 2018 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.

  3. Quantitative assessment of the supraspinatus tendon on MRI using T2/T2* mapping and shear-wave ultrasound elastography: a pilot study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krepkin, Konstantin; Adler, Ronald S.; Gyftopoulos, Soterios [NYU Langone Medical Center/Hospital for Joint Diseases, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Bruno, Mary; Raya, Jose G. [NYU Langone Medical Center, Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States)

    2017-02-15

    To determine whether there is an association between T2/T2* mapping and supraspinatus tendon mechanical properties as assessed by shear-wave ultrasound elastography (SWE). This HIPAA-compliant prospective pilot study received approval from our hospital's institutional review board. Eight patients (3 males/5 females; age range 44-72 years) and nine shoulders underwent conventional shoulder MRI, T2/T2* mapping on a 3-T scanner, and SWE. Two musculoskeletal radiologists reviewed the MRI examinations in consensus for evidence of supraspinatus tendon pathology, with tear size measured for full-thickness tears. T2/T2* values and ultrasound shear-wave velocities (SWV) were calculated in three corresponding equidistant regions of interest (ROIs) within the insertional 1-2 cm of the supraspinatus tendon (medial, middle, lateral). Pearson correlation coefficients between T2/T2* values and SWV, as well as among T2, T2*, SWV and tear size, were calculated. There was a significant negative correlation between T2* and SWV in the lateral ROI (r = -0.86, p = 0.013) and overall mean ROI (r = -0.90, p = 0.006). There was significant positive correlation between T2 and measures of tear size in the lateral and mean ROIs (r range 0.71-0.77, p range 0.016-0.034). There was significant negative correlation between SWV and tear size in the middle and mean ROIs (r range -0.79-0.68, p range 0.011-0.046). Our pilot study demonstrated a potential relationship between T2* values and shear wave velocity values in the supraspinatus tendon, a finding that could lead to an improved, more quantitative evaluation of the rotator cuff tendons. (orig.)

  4. Quantitative assessment of the supraspinatus tendon on MRI using T2/T2* mapping and shear-wave ultrasound elastography: a pilot study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krepkin, Konstantin; Adler, Ronald S.; Gyftopoulos, Soterios; Bruno, Mary; Raya, Jose G.

    2017-01-01

    To determine whether there is an association between T2/T2* mapping and supraspinatus tendon mechanical properties as assessed by shear-wave ultrasound elastography (SWE). This HIPAA-compliant prospective pilot study received approval from our hospital's institutional review board. Eight patients (3 males/5 females; age range 44-72 years) and nine shoulders underwent conventional shoulder MRI, T2/T2* mapping on a 3-T scanner, and SWE. Two musculoskeletal radiologists reviewed the MRI examinations in consensus for evidence of supraspinatus tendon pathology, with tear size measured for full-thickness tears. T2/T2* values and ultrasound shear-wave velocities (SWV) were calculated in three corresponding equidistant regions of interest (ROIs) within the insertional 1-2 cm of the supraspinatus tendon (medial, middle, lateral). Pearson correlation coefficients between T2/T2* values and SWV, as well as among T2, T2*, SWV and tear size, were calculated. There was a significant negative correlation between T2* and SWV in the lateral ROI (r = -0.86, p = 0.013) and overall mean ROI (r = -0.90, p = 0.006). There was significant positive correlation between T2 and measures of tear size in the lateral and mean ROIs (r range 0.71-0.77, p range 0.016-0.034). There was significant negative correlation between SWV and tear size in the middle and mean ROIs (r range -0.79-0.68, p range 0.011-0.046). Our pilot study demonstrated a potential relationship between T2* values and shear wave velocity values in the supraspinatus tendon, a finding that could lead to an improved, more quantitative evaluation of the rotator cuff tendons. (orig.)

  5. Ultrasound skin tightening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minkis, Kira; Alam, Murad

    2014-01-01

    Ultrasound skin tightening is a noninvasive, nonablative method that allows for energy deposition into the deep dermal and subcutaneous tissue while avoiding epidermal heating. Ultrasound coagulation is confined to arrays of 1-mm(3) zones that include the superficial musculoaponeurotic system and connective tissue. This technology gained approval from the Food and Drug Administration as the first energy-based skin "lifting" device, specifically for lifting lax tissue on the neck, submentum, and eyebrows. Ultrasound has the unique advantage of direct visualization of treated structures during treatment. Ultrasound is a safe and efficacious treatment for mild skin tightening and lifting. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Ultrasound guided supraclavicular block.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Hanumanthaiah, Deepak

    2013-09-01

    Ultrasound guided regional anaesthesia is becoming increasingly popular. The supraclavicular block has been transformed by ultrasound guidance into a potentially safe superficial block. We reviewed the techniques of performing supraclavicular block with special focus on ultrasound guidance.

  7. Focused ultrasound in ophthalmology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silverman RH

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Ronald H Silverman1,2 1Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University Medical Center, 2F.L. Lizzi Center for Biomedical Engineering, Riverside Research, New York, NY, USA Abstract: The use of focused ultrasound to obtain diagnostically significant information about the eye goes back to the 1950s. This review describes the historical and technological development of ophthalmic ultrasound and its clinical application and impact. Ultrasound, like light, can be focused, which is crucial for formation of high-resolution, diagnostically useful images. Focused, single-element, mechanically scanned transducers are most common in ophthalmology. Specially designed transducers have been used to generate focused, high-intensity ultrasound that through thermal effects has been used to treat glaucoma (via cilio-destruction, tumors, and other pathologies. Linear and annular transducer arrays offer synthetic focusing in which precise timing of the excitation of independently addressable array elements allows formation of a converging wavefront to create a focus at one or more programmable depths. Most recently, linear array-based plane-wave ultrasound, in which the array emits an unfocused wavefront and focusing is performed solely on received data, has been demonstrated for imaging ocular anatomy and blood flow. While the history of ophthalmic ultrasound extends back over half-a-century, new and powerful technologic advances continue to be made, offering the prospect of novel diagnostic capabilities. Keywords: ophthalmic ultrasound, ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU, ultrafast imaging, Doppler imaging 

  8. Relationships between bone mass and dietary/lifestyle habits in Japanese women at 3-4 months postpartum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoshino, A; Yamada, A; Tanabe, R; Noda, S; Nakaoka, K; Oku, Y; Katayama, C; Haraikawa, M; Nakano, H; Harada, M; Uenishi, K; Goseki-Sone, M

    2017-11-01

    The relationships between calcaneal bone mass and dietary/lifestyle habits in women at 3-4 months postpartum were examined in the context of osteoporosis prevention. Cross-sectional survey. We measured bone mass using calcaneal ultrasound in mothers who brought their 3- to 4-month-old babies to healthcare centers in Japan for health examination and administered a self-report questionnaire on physical characteristics and dietary/lifestyle habits to those who agreed to participate in the survey. Valid data were available for 1220 women (valid response rate, 97.5%). Based on their stiffness score, a measure of bone mass, 70.9% (n = 865) of the participants were classified as 'no apparent abnormality (stiffness score ≥78.8)' (low-risk group), 18.2% (n = 222) as 'guidance required (≥70.1-healthy eating habits, such as increased consumption of calcium-rich foods, and prevent osteoporosis. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Ultrasound diagnostics of thyroid diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kharchenko, Vladimir P.; Kotlyarov, Peter M.; Mogutov, Mikhail S.; Sencha, Alexander N.; Patrunov, Yury N.; Belyaev, Denis V.; Alexandrov, Yury K.

    2010-01-01

    This book is based on the authors' extensive practical experience in the use of modern ultrasound, and other radiological methods, in the diagnosis of thyroid diseases. The authors have analyzed more than 100,000 ultrasound examinations performed between 1995 and 2008 in patients with thyroid and parathyroid disease, as well as many thousands of diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound-guided minimally invasive procedures. The opening chapters include discussion of current ultrasound techniques, pitfalls, and the specifics of ultrasound examination of the thyroid in children. Detailed attention is then devoted to findings in the normal thyroid and in the presence of diffuse and focal changes. Further chapters focus on such topics as ultrasound examination after thyroid surgery and ultrasound diagnosis of parathyroid disease, recurrent goiter, and neck masses. Ultrasound-guided minimally invasive techniques, such as fine-needle aspiration biopsy, percutaneous laser ablation, and ethanol and glucocorticoid injections, are considered in depth. This up-to-date and richly illustrated book will interest and assist specialists in ultrasound diagnostics, radiologists, endocrinologists, and neck surgeons. (orig.)

  10. Quantitative Measurements using Ultrasound Vector Flow Imaging

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

    2016-01-01

    scanner for pulsating flow mimicking the femoral artery from a CompuFlow 1000 pump (Shelley Medical). Data were used in four estimators based on directional transverse oscillation for velocity, flow angle, volume flow, and turbulence estimation and their respective precisions. An adaptive lag scheme gave...... the ability to estimate a large velocity range, or alternatively measure at two sites to find e.g. stenosis degree in a vessel. The mean angle at the vessel center was estimated to 90.9◦±8.2◦ indicating a laminar flow from a turbulence index being close to zero (0.1 ±0.1). Volume flow was 1.29 ±0.26 mL/stroke...... (true: 1.15 mL/stroke, bias: 12.2%). Measurements down to 160 mm were obtained with a relative standard deviation and bias of less than 10% for the lateral component for stationary, parabolic flow. The method can, thus, find quantitative velocities, angles, and volume flows at sites currently...

  11. An ultrasound system for simultaneous ultrasound hyperthermia and photon beam irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Straube, William L.; Moros, Eduardo G.; Low, Daniel A.; Klein, Eric E.; Willcut, Virgil M.; Myerson, Robert J.

    1996-01-01

    Purpose: An existing ultrasound system has been adapted for simultaneous use with external photon beam irradiation. The system is being used to investigate the potential for increased biological benefit of simultaneously combined hyperthermia and external beam irradiation with currently achievable temperature distributions. Methods and Materials: An existing clinical ultrasound system has been modified for simultaneous operation with a 60 Co teletherapy machine. The generator, thermometry system, computer, and applicators are located inside the treatment room, while the monitor and system control are located at the control console. Two approaches have been used clinically to combine the two modalities. In the first approach, an en-face setup is used in which the ultrasound beam and the photon beam travel through the same window of entry to the tumor. This is achieved by a reflecting system designed to deflect the ultrasound to the tumor while positioning the ultrasound transducer outside the radiation beam. The reflecting system consists of water and water-equivalent materials except for a 1 mm sheet of polished brass that is used as the reflector. The relative pressure fields were measured in water at the same distance from the ultrasound source using a scanning hydrophone with and without the reflector at the two operating frequencies of the device (1.0 and 3.4 MHz) for two applicators. Radiation dosimetry measurements were performed to determine the relationship between 60 Co irradiation through the reflector and absorbed dose. In the second approach the ultrasound and the radiation beam travel into the tumor from different windows of entry such that the radiation beam passes through no portion of the water bolus prior to entering the patient. We have termed this approach the orthogonal approach. For both approaches, the radiation fraction is given in the middle of an uninterrupted 60-min hyperthermia treatment. Results: The system modifications did not impair

  12. Prostate Ultrasound

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... be able to give a clearer picture of soft tissues that do not show up well on x-ray images. Ultrasound causes no health problems and may be repeated as often as is necessary if medically indicated. Ultrasound provides real-time imaging, making it a good tool for guiding ...

  13. Prostate Ultrasound

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... the best way to see if treatment is working or if a finding is stable or changed over time. top of page What are the benefits vs. risks? Benefits Ultrasound is widely available, easy-to-use and less expensive than other imaging methods. Ultrasound imaging uses ...

  14. Trans-abdominal ultrasound evaluation of high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment of uterine leiomyoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miao Wei; Huang Jin; Wang Junhua; Wang Yuling

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To determine the value of dynamic trans-abdominal ultrasound after high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment of uterine leiomyomas. Methods: The trans-abdominal ultrasound images of 63 patients before and after HIFU treatment of uterine leiomyomas were compared. Results: The volume and blood flow of leiomyomas were reduced after the HIFU treatment. Conclusion: Trans-abdominal ultrasound is a valuable method for evaluating the results of HIFU treatment of uterine leiomyomas. (authors)

  15. General Ultrasound Imaging

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... and treat medical conditions. Conventional ultrasound displays the images in thin, flat sections of the body. Advancements in ultrasound technology include three-dimensional (3- ...

  16. Ultrasound as a probe of dislocation density in aluminum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mujica, Nicolás; Cerda, Maria Teresa; Espinoza, Rodrigo; Lisoni, Judit; Lund, Fernando

    2012-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Display Omitted - Abstract: Dislocations are at the heart of the plastic behavior of crystalline materials yet it is notoriously difficult to perform quantitative, non-intrusive measurements of their single or collective properties. Dislocation density is a critical variable that determines dislocation mobility, strength and ductility. On the one hand, individual dislocations can be probed in detail with transmission electron microscopy. On the other hand, their collective properties must be simulated numerically. Here we show that ultrasound technology can be used to measure dislocation density. This development rests on theory—a generalization of the Granato–Lücke theory for the interaction of elastic waves with dislocations—and resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) measurements. The chosen material is aluminum, to which different dislocation contents were induced through annealing and cold-rolling processes. The dislocation densities obtained with RUS compare favorably with those inferred from X-ray diffraction, using the modified Williamson–Hall method.

  17. Progress towards in vitro quantitative imaging of human femur using compound quantitative ultrasonic tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lasaygues, Philippe; Ouedraogo, Edgard; Lefebvre, Jean-Pierre; Gindre, Marcel; Talmant, Marilyne; Laugier, Pascal

    2005-01-01

    The objective of this study is to make cross-sectional ultrasonic quantitative tomography of the diaphysis of long bones. Ultrasonic propagation in bones is affected by the severe mismatch between the acoustic properties of this biological solid and those of the surrounding soft medium, namely, the soft tissues in vivo or water in vitro. Bone imaging is then a nonlinear inverse-scattering problem. In this paper, we showed that in vitro quantitative images of sound velocities in a human femur cross section could be reconstructed by combining ultrasonic reflection tomography (URT), which provides images of the macroscopic structure of the bone, and ultrasonic transmission tomography (UTT), which provides quantitative images of the sound velocity. For the shape, we developed an image-processing tool to extract the external and internal boundaries and cortical thickness measurements. For velocity mapping, we used a wavelet analysis tool adapted to ultrasound, which allowed us to detect precisely the time of flight from the transmitted signals. A brief review of the ultrasonic tomography that we developed using correction algorithms of the wavepaths and compensation procedures are presented. Also shown are the first results of our analyses on models and specimens of long bone using our new iterative quantitative protocol

  18. General Ultrasound Imaging

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... through blood vessels. Ultrasound imaging is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. Conventional ultrasound displays the images in thin, ...

  19. Treatment of unicameral calcaneal bone cysts in children: review of literature and results using a cannulated screw for continuous decompression of the cyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saraph, Vinay; Zwick, Ernst-Bernhard; Maizen, Claudia; Schneider, Frank; Linhart, Wolfgang E

    2004-01-01

    Nine unicameral bone cysts of the calcaneus in children were managed surgically using the technique of continuous decompression with titanium cannulated cancellous screws. The average age of the patients at surgery was 12.8 years. At follow-up a minimum of 2 years after surgery, eight cysts showed complete healing; one patient showed healing with residuals. Irritation at the screw insertion site necessitated early removal of the screw in one patient; implant-related problems were not observed in the other patients. Patients were allowed to bear weight after surgery. Implant extraction was performed after full consolidation of the cyst and was uneventful in all patients. A review of the literature and the different treatment modalities used for managing calcaneal cysts is also presented.

  20. Comparative Outcomes Between Step-Cut Lengthening Calcaneal Osteotomy vs Traditional Evans Osteotomy for Stage IIB Adult-Acquired Flatfoot Deformity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saunders, Stuart M; Ellis, Scott J; Demetracopoulos, Constantine A; Marinescu, Anca; Burkett, Jayme; Deland, Jonathan T

    2018-01-01

    The forefoot abduction component of the flexible adult-acquired flatfoot can be addressed with lengthening of the anterior process of the calcaneus. We hypothesized that the step-cut lengthening calcaneal osteotomy (SLCO) would decrease the incidence of nonunion, lead to improvement in clinical outcome scores, and have a faster time to healing compared with the traditional Evans osteotomy. We retrospectively reviewed 111 patients (143 total feet: 65 Evans, 78 SLCO) undergoing stage IIB reconstruction followed clinically for at least 2 years. Preoperative and postoperative radiographs were analyzed for the amount of deformity correction. Computed tomography (CT) was used to analyze osteotomy healing. The Foot and Ankle Outcome Scores (FAOS) and lateral pain surveys were used to assess clinical outcomes. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to assess nonnormally distributed data while χ 2 and Fisher exact tests were used to analyze categorical variables (α = 0.05 significant). The Evans group used a larger graft size ( P lengthening. Level III, retrospective cohort study.

  1. The Indian ultrasound paradox

    OpenAIRE

    Akbulut-Yuksel, Mevlude; Rosenblum, Daniel

    2012-01-01

    The liberalization of the Indian economy in the 1990s made prenatal ultrasound technology affordable and available to a large fraction of the population. As a result, ultrasound use amongst pregnant women rose dramatically in many parts of India. This paper provides evidence on the consequences of the expansion of prenatal ultrasound use on sex-selection. We exploit state-by-cohort variation in ultrasound use in India as a unique quasi-experiment. We find that sex-selective abortion of female...

  2. Point of Care Ultrasound

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dietrich, Christoph F; Goudie, Adrian; Chiorean, Liliana

    2017-01-01

    Over the last decade, the use of portable ultrasound scanners has enhanced the concept of point of care ultrasound (PoC-US), namely, "ultrasound performed at the bedside and interpreted directly by the treating clinician." PoC-US is not a replacement for comprehensive ultrasound, but rather allows...... and critical care medicine, cardiology, anesthesiology, rheumatology, obstetrics, neonatology, gynecology, gastroenterology and many other applications. In the future, PoC-US will be more diverse than ever and be included in medical student training....

  3. Two-dimensional Shear Wave Elastography on Conventional Ultrasound Scanners with Time Aligned Sequential Tracking (TAST) and Comb-push Ultrasound Shear Elastography (CUSE)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Pengfei; Macdonald, Michael C.; Behler, Russell H.; Lanning, Justin D.; Wang, Michael H.; Urban, Matthew W.; Manduca, Armando; Zhao, Heng; Callstrom, Matthew R.; Alizad, Azra; Greenleaf, James F.; Chen, Shigao

    2014-01-01

    Two-dimensional (2D) shear wave elastography presents 2D quantitative shear elasticity maps of tissue, which are clinically useful for both focal lesion detection and diffuse disease diagnosis. Realization of 2D shear wave elastography on conventional ultrasound scanners, however, is challenging due to the low tracking pulse-repetition-frequency (PRF) of these systems. While some clinical and research platforms support software beamforming and plane wave imaging with high PRF, the majority of current clinical ultrasound systems do not have the software beamforming capability, which presents a critical challenge for translating the 2D shear wave elastography technique from laboratory to clinical scanners. To address this challenge, this paper presents a Time Aligned Sequential Tracking (TAST) method for shear wave tracking on conventional ultrasound scanners. TAST takes advantage of the parallel beamforming capability of conventional systems and realizes high PRF shear wave tracking by sequentially firing tracking vectors and aligning shear wave data in the temporal direction. The Comb-push Ultrasound Shear Elastography (CUSE) technique was used to simultaneously produce multiple shear wave sources within the field-of-view (FOV) to enhance shear wave signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) and facilitate robust reconstructions of 2D elasticity maps. TAST and CUSE were realized on a conventional ultrasound scanner (the General Electric LOGIQ E9). A phantom study showed that the shear wave speed measurements from the LOGIQ E9 were in good agreement to the values measured from other 2D shear wave imaging technologies. An inclusion phantom study showed that the LOGIQ E9 had comparable performance to the Aixplorer (Supersonic Imagine) in terms of bias and precision in measuring different sized inclusions. Finally, in vivo case analysis of a breast with a malignant mass, and a liver from a healthy subject demonstrated the feasibility of using the LOGIQ E9 for in vivo 2D shear wave

  4. [Ultrasound findings in rhabdomyolysis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrillo-Esper, Raúl; Galván-Talamantes, Yazmin; Meza-Ayala, Cynthia Margarita; Cruz-Santana, Julio Alberto; Bonilla-Reséndiz, Luis Ignacio

    Rhabdomyolysis is defined as skeletal muscle necrosis. Ultrasound assessment has recently become a useful tool for the diagnosis and monitoring of muscle diseases, including rhabdomyolysis. A case is presented on the ultrasound findings in a patient with rhabdomyolysis. To highlight the importance of ultrasound as an essential part in the diagnosis in rhabdomyolysis, to describe the ultrasound findings, and review the literature. A 30 year-old with post-traumatic rhabdomyolysis of both thighs. Ultrasound was performed using a Philips Sparq model with a high-frequency linear transducer (5-10MHz), in low-dimensional scanning mode (2D), in longitudinal and transverse sections at the level of both thighs. The images obtained showed disorganisation of the orientation of the muscle fibres, ground glass image, thickening of the muscular fascia, and the presence of anechoic areas. Ultrasound is a useful tool in the evaluation of rhabdomyolysis. Copyright © 2015 Academia Mexicana de Cirugía A.C. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

  5. Prostate Ultrasound

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... be able to give a clearer picture of soft tissues that do not show up well on x-ray images. Ultrasound causes no health problems and may be repeated as often as is necessary if medically indicated. Ultrasound provides real-time imaging, making it a good tool for guiding ...

  6. Medical Ultrasound Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, Stephen

    2001-01-01

    Explains the basic principles of ultrasound using everyday physics. Topics include the generation of ultrasound, basic interactions with material, and the measurement of blood flow using the Doppler effect. (Author/MM)

  7. Relationship between bone turnover markers and the heel stiffness index measured by quantitative ultrasound in middle-aged and elderly Japanese men

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishimura, Takayuki; Arima, Kazuhiko; Abe, Yasuyo; Kanagae, Mitsuo; Mizukami, Satoshi; Okabe, Takuhiro; Tomita, Yoshihito; Goto, Hisashi; Horiguchi, Itsuko; Aoyagi, Kiyoshi

    2018-01-01

    Abstract The aim of the present study was to investigate the age-related patterns and the relationships between serum levels of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRACP-5b) or bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP), and the heel stiffness index measured by quantitative ultrasound (QUS) in 429 Japanese men, with special emphasis on 2 age groups (40–59 years and 60 years or over). The heel stiffness index (bone mass) was measured by QUS. Serum samples were collected, and TRACP-5b and BAP levels were measured. The stiffness index was significantly decreased with age. Log (TRACP-5b) was significantly increased with age, but Log (BAP) was stable. Generalized linear models showed that higher levels of Log (TRACP-5b) and Log (BAP) were correlated with a lower stiffness index after adjusting for covariates in men aged 60 years or over, but not in men aged 40 to 59 years. In conclusion, higher rates of bone turnover markers were associated with a lower stiffness index only in elderly men. These results may indicate a different mechanism of low bone mass among different age groups of men. PMID:29465590

  8. Monitoring Progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Using Ultrasound Morpho-Textural Muscle Biomarkers: A Pilot Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Payá, Jacinto J; Ríos-Díaz, José; Medina-Mirapeix, Francesc; Vázquez-Costa, Juan F; Del Baño-Aledo, María Elena

    2018-01-01

    The need is increasing for progression biomarkers that allow the loss of motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to be monitored in clinical trials. In this prospective longitudinal study, muscle thickness, echointensity, echovariation and gray level co-occurrence matrix textural features are examined as possible progression ultrasound biomarkers in ALS patients during a 5-mo follow-up period. We subjected 13 patients to 3 measurements for 20 wk. They showed a significant loss of muscle, an evident tendency to loss of thickness and increased echointensity and echovariation. In regard to textural parameters, muscle heterogeneity tended to increase as a result of the neoformation of non-contractile tissue through denervation. Considering some limitations of the study, the quantitative muscle ultrasound biomarkers evaluated showed a promising ability to monitor patients affected by ALS. Copyright © 2018 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Calcaneal ultrasound analysis of Nigerian adults with type 2 diabetes

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Although type 2diabetes is usually associated with increased bone mineral density, we were interested in estimating the bone mineral density of patients with type 2 diabetes in a region of the ... Body composition analysis to determine lean body mass and body fat was performed using bioelectrical impedance analysis.

  10. Interventional ultrasound

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    VanSonnenberg, E.

    1987-01-01

    This book contains 12 chapters and several case studies. Some of the chapter titles are: The Interplay of Ultrasound and Computed Tomography in the Planning and Execution of Interventional Procedures: Ulltrasound Guided Biopsy; Interventioal Genitourinary Sonography; Diagnosis and Treatment of Pericardial Effusion Using Ultrasonic Guidance; and New Ultrasound-Guided Interventional Procedures--Cholecystostomy, Pancreatography, Gastrostomy

  11. Endoscopic ultrasound features of chronic pancreatitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rana, Surinder Singh; Vilmann, Peter

    2015-01-01

    As endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is the most sensitive imaging modality for diagnosing pancreatic disorders, it can demonstrate subtle alterations in the pancreatic parenchymal and ductal structure even before traditional imaging and functional testing demonstrate any abnormality. In spite...... of this fact and abundant literature, the exact role of EUS in the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis (CP) is still not established. The EUS features to diagnose CP have evolved over a period from a pure qualitative approach to more advanced and complicated scoring systems incorporating multiple parenchymal...... to define the exact role of these criteria. The measurement of strain ratio using quantitative EUS elastography and thus allowing quantification of pancreatic fibrosis seems to be a promising new technique....

  12. Cranial Ultrasound/Head Ultrasound

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... used to screen for brain conditions associated with prematurity, such as bleeding or brain tissue damage as ... or crying child will slow the examination process. Large patients are more difficult to image by ultrasound, ...

  13. Lifestyle factors influencing bone health in young adult women in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Aim: To analyze risk factors leading to osteopenia and osteoporosis among young female students. Methods: Quantitative Ultrasonography measurements were performed in the calcaneal region of 101 young Saudi females. Dietary habits, exercising and sun exposure were assessed using questionnaires. The association ...

  14. Histoscanning and shear wave ultrasound elastography for prostate cancer diagnosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. V. Amosov

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. The shear wave ultrasound elastography is a recently developed ultrasound-based method in the clinical practice, which allows the qualitative visual and quantitative measurements of tissue stiffness. In the 2010 this technology of the shear wave was called Shear Wave Elastograhpy. Due to the front of the shear waves the qualitative and quantitative assessment of the tissue stiffness is possible.Objective is to examine the efficacy of the shear wave ultrasound elastography in the evaluation of the prevalence of the oncological disease in patients with the prostate cancer and to compare the obtained results with the routine method X-ray diagnostics.Materials and methods. From the april 2015 in the I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University Urology Clinic there were conducted 314 shear wave ultrasound elastography examinations of the prostate. The ultrasound system Aixplorer® by SuperSonic Imagine was used. This system provides information provided by B-mode and shear wave ultrasound elastography mode. The transrectal echograms were made in 6 dimensions, so called Q-boxes (3 demensions in the every lobe on the segments from the base to the apex, according to the biopsy zone. The unit of measurement was the mean value in the kilopaskals (kPa. All the patients were randomized into 3 groups. There were 146 men with the possible prostate cancer in the first group (prospective study, 120 men with the certain diagnosis of the prostate cancer in the second group (retrospective study and 48 healthy men in the third group (control study. In all the patients of the first and the second groups the routine complete examination, including the prostate specific antigen (PSA level examination, digital rectal examination (DRE, doppler transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS, histoscanning and ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE, was conducted. In the 229 patients of the first and the second groups the prostatectomy with the

  15. Ultrasound Pretreatment as an Useful Tool to Enhance Egg White Protein Hydrolysis: Kinetics, Reaction Model, and Thermodinamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jovanović, Jelena R; Stefanović, Andrea B; Šekuljica, Nataša Ž; Tanasković, Sonja M Jakovetić; Dojčinović, Marina B; Bugarski, Branko M; Knežević-Jugović, Zorica D

    2016-09-28

    The impact of ultrasound waves generated by probe-type sonicator and ultrasound cleaning bath on egg white protein susceptibility to hydrolysis by alcalase compared to both thermal pretreatment and conventional enzymatic hydrolysis was quantitatively investigated. A series of hydrolytic reactions was carried out in a stirred tank reactor at different substrate concentrations, enzyme concentrations, and temperatures using untreated, and pretreated egg white proteins (EWPs). The kinetic model based on substrate inhibition and second-order enzyme deactivation successfully predicts the experimental behavior providing an effective tool for comparison and optimization. The ultrasound pretreatments appear to greatly improve the enzymatic hydrolysis of EWPs under different conditions when compare to other methods. The apparent reaction rate constants for proteolysis (k 2 ) are 0.009, 0.011, 0.053, and 0.045 min -1 for untreated EWPs, and those pretreated with heat, probe-type sonicator, and ultrasound cleaning bath technologies, respectively. The ultrasound pretreatment also decreases hydrolysis activation (E a ) and enzyme deactivation (E d ) energy, enthalpy (ΔH), and entropy (ΔS) of activation and for the probe-type sonication this decrease is 61.7%, 61.6%, 63.6%, and 32.2%, respectively, but ultrasound has little change in Gibbs free energy value in the temperature range of 318 to 338 K. The content of sulfhydryl groups and ζ potential show a significant increase (P < 0.05) for both applied ultrasound pretreatments and the reduction of particle size distribution are achieved, providing some evidence that the ultrasound causes EWP structural changes affecting the proteolysis rate. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

  16. Segmentation of tumor ultrasound image in HIFU therapy based on texture and boundary encoding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Dong; Xu, Menglong; Quan, Long; Yang, Yan; Qin, Qianqing; Zhu, Wenbin

    2015-01-01

    It is crucial in high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy to detect the tumor precisely with less manual intervention for enhancing the therapy efficiency. Ultrasound image segmentation becomes a difficult task due to signal attenuation, speckle effect and shadows. This paper presents an unsupervised approach based on texture and boundary encoding customized for ultrasound image segmentation in HIFU therapy. The approach oversegments the ultrasound image into some small regions, which are merged by using the principle of minimum description length (MDL) afterwards. Small regions belonging to the same tumor are clustered as they preserve similar texture features. The mergence is completed by obtaining the shortest coding length from encoding textures and boundaries of these regions in the clustering process. The tumor region is finally selected from merged regions by a proposed algorithm without manual interaction. The performance of the method is tested on 50 uterine fibroid ultrasound images from HIFU guiding transducers. The segmentations are compared with manual delineations to verify its feasibility. The quantitative evaluation with HIFU images shows that the mean true positive of the approach is 93.53%, the mean false positive is 4.06%, the mean similarity is 89.92%, the mean norm Hausdorff distance is 3.62% and the mean norm maximum average distance is 0.57%. The experiments validate that the proposed method can achieve favorable segmentation without manual initialization and effectively handle the poor quality of the ultrasound guidance image in HIFU therapy, which indicates that the approach is applicable in HIFU therapy. (paper)

  17. Enhancement or Reduction of Sonochemical Activity of Pulsed Ultrasound Compared to Continuous Ultrasound at 20 kHz?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yujing Sun

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Little is known about the efficacy of pulsed ultrasound compared with continuous ultrasound. Previous studies on the efficacy of pulsed ultrasound were not systematic and gave different results. In this study, the effects of pulse length, pulse interval, pulse length × pulse intervals, and treatment time on sonochemical activity were investigated using a simple oxidation of iodide method and a comparison of the efficacy of pulsed ultrasound and continuous ultrasound is made. The results showed that the main factor in the efficacy of pulsed ultrasound was pulse length when pulse length varied from 0.1 to 1 s. However, the main factors were pulse length, the pulse length × pulse interval, and pulse interval when pulse length varied from 1 to 9 s. Pulsed ultrasound had no effect when the pulse length was 0.1 s; however, the sonochemical activity of pulsed ultrasound decreased compared to continuous ultrasound as the pulse length varied from 0.1 to 1 s. The sonochemical activity of pulsed ultrasound either increased or decreased compared to continuous ultrasound when pulse length varied from 1 to 9 s, but the increase or decrease had no clear trend. The sonochemical activity was constant at Ton/Toff = 2 s/2 s and slightly decreased at Ton/Toff = 3 s/2 s with time, whereas the sonochemical activity of continuous ultrasound significantly decreased with time. Enhancement or reduction of sonochemical activity of pulsed ultrasound compared to continuous ultrasound depended on the pulse length and pulse interval.

  18. Dynamic contrast enhanced ultrasound for therapy monitoring

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hudson, John M. [Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON (Canada); Williams, Ross [Imaging Research, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON (Canada); Tremblay-Darveau, Charles; Sheeran, Paul S. [Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON (Canada); Milot, Laurent [Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON (Canada); Bjarnason, Georg A. [Department of Medical Oncology, University of Toronto, and Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON (Canada); Burns, Peter N., E-mail: burns@sri.utoronto.ca [Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON (Canada); Imaging Research, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON (Canada); Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON (Canada)

    2015-09-15

    Quantitative imaging is a crucial component of the assessment of therapies that target the vasculature of angiogenic or inflamed tissue. Dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US) using microbubble contrast offers the advantages of being sensitive to perfusion, non-invasive, cost effective and well suited to repeated use at the bedside. Uniquely, it employs an agent that is truly intravascular. This papers reviews the principles and methodology of DCE-US, especially as applied to anti-angiogenic cancer therapies. Reproducibility is an important attribute of such a monitoring method: results are discussed. More recent technical advances in parametric and 3D DCE-US imaging are also summarised and illustrated.

  19. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available Toggle navigation Test/Treatment Patient Type Screening/Wellness Disease/Condition Safety En Español More Info Images/Videos About Us News Physician Resources Professions Site Index A-Z General Ultrasound Ultrasound imaging ...

  20. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... may produce minimal discomfort. If a Doppler ultrasound study is performed, you may actually hear pulse-like sounds that change in pitch as the blood flow is monitored and measured. Most ultrasound examinations ...

  1. Basics of biomedical ultrasound for engineers

    CERN Document Server

    Azhari, Haim

    2010-01-01

    "Basics of Biomedical Ultrasound for Engineers is a structured textbook for university engineering courses in biomedical ultrasound and for researchers in the field. This book offers a tool for building a solid understanding of biomedical ultrasound, and leads the novice through the field in a step-by-step manner. The book begins with the most basic definitions of waves, proceeds to ultrasounds in fluids, and then delves into solid ultrasounds, the most complicated kind of ultrasound. It encompasses a wide range of topics within biomedical ultrasound, from conceptual definitions of waves to the intricacies of focusing devices, transducers, and acoustic fields"--Provided by publisher.

  2. A Diagnostic Ultrasound Imaging System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Seong Woo

    1999-01-01

    The ability to see the internal organs of the human body in a noninvasive way is a powerful diagnostic tool of modern medicine. Among these imaging modalities such as X-ray, MRI, and ultrasound. MRI and ultrasound are presenting much less risk of undesirable damage of both patient and examiner. In fact, no deleterious effects have been reported as a result of clinical examination by using MRI and ultrasound diagnostic equipment. As a result, their market volume has been rapidly increased. MRI has a good resolution. but there are a few disadvantages such as high price. non-real-time imaging capability. and expensive diagnostic cost. On the other hand, the ultrasound imaging system has inherently poor resolution as compared with X-ray and MRI. In spite of its poor resolution, the ultrasound diagnostic equipment is lower in price and has an ability of real-time imaging as compared with the others. As a result, the ultrasound imaging system has become general and essential modality for imaging the internal organs of human body. In this review various researches and developments to enhance the resolution of the ultrasound images are explained and future trends of the ultrasound imaging technology are described

  3. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... flat sections of the body. Advancements in ultrasound technology include three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound that formats ... legs, neck and/or brain (in infants and children) or within various body organs such as the ...

  4. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... top of page What are the benefits vs. risks? Benefits Most ultrasound scanning is noninvasive (no needles ... procedures such as needle biopsies and fluid aspiration. Risks For standard diagnostic ultrasound , there are no known ...

  5. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... ultrasound. top of page How does the procedure work? Ultrasound imaging is based on the same principles ... requested the exam. Usually, the referring physician or health care provider will share the results with you. ...

  6. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... ultrasound. top of page How does the procedure work? Ultrasound imaging is based on the same principles ... move through vessels. The movement of blood cells causes a change in pitch of the reflected sound ...

  7. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... flat sections of the body. Advancements in ultrasound technology include three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound that formats ... color picture. It can also convert blood flow information into a distinctive sound that can be heard ...

  8. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... flat sections of the body. Advancements in ultrasound technology include three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound that formats ... care physician, or to the physician or other healthcare provider who requested the exam. Usually, the referring ...

  9. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... size, shape and consistency (whether the object is solid or filled with fluid). In medicine, ultrasound is ... ultrasound, measures the direction and speed of blood cells as they move through vessels. The movement of ...

  10. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... need to be returned to the transducer for analysis. Ultrasound has difficulty penetrating bone and, therefore, can ... ultrasound procedure View full size with caption Pediatric Content Some imaging tests and treatments have special pediatric ...

  11. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... procedure? Ultrasound examinations can help to diagnose a variety of conditions and to assess organ damage following ... the Ultrasound-Guided Breast Biopsy page . diagnose a variety of heart conditions, including valve problems and congestive ...

  12. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... ultrasound. top of page How does the procedure work? Ultrasound imaging is based on the same principles ... have special pediatric considerations. The teddy bear denotes child-specific content. Related Articles and Media Angioplasty and ...

  13. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... flat sections of the body. Advancements in ultrasound technology include three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound that formats ... possible charges you will incur. Web page review process: This Web page is reviewed regularly by a ...

  14. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... ultrasound. top of page How does the procedure work? Ultrasound imaging is based on the same principles ... more extensive exams may take up to an hour. When the examination is complete, you may be ...

  15. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... Imaging? Ultrasound waves are disrupted by air or gas; therefore ultrasound is not an ideal imaging technique ... with caption Pediatric Content Some imaging tests and treatments have special pediatric considerations. The teddy bear denotes ...

  16. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... Ultrasound is the preferred imaging modality for the diagnosis and monitoring of pregnant women and their unborn ... needle biopsies and fluid aspiration. Risks For standard diagnostic ultrasound , there are no known harmful effects on ...

  17. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... More Info Images/Videos About Us News Physician Resources Professions Site Index A-Z General Ultrasound Ultrasound ... computer or television monitor. The image is created based on the amplitude (loudness), frequency (pitch) and time ...

  18. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... in infections With knowledge about the speed and volume of blood flow gained from a Doppler ultrasound ... the body while other areas, especially air-filled lungs, are poorly suited for ultrasound. top of page ...

  19. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... 3-D) ultrasound that formats the sound wave data into 3-D images. A Doppler ultrasound study ... to do the scanning. The transducer is a small hand-held device that resembles a microphone, attached ...

  20. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... flat sections of the body. Advancements in ultrasound technology include three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound that formats ... sonography is performed using the same transducer. Rarely, young children may need to be sedated in order ...

  1. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... image. Ultrasound examinations do not use ionizing radiation (as used in x-rays ), thus there is no ... structure and movement of the body's internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels. Ultrasound ...

  2. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... flat sections of the body. Advancements in ultrasound technology include three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound that formats ... American College of Radiology (ACR) and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), comprising physicians with expertise ...

  3. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... ultrasound. top of page How does the procedure work? Ultrasound imaging is based on the same principles ... about this beforehand and be made aware of food and drink restrictions that may be needed prior ...

  4. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... ultrasound. top of page How does the procedure work? Ultrasound imaging is based on the same principles ... the transducer is pressed against the skin, it directs small pulses of inaudible, high-frequency sound waves ...

  5. Relationships among ultrasonic and mechanical properties of cancellous bone in human calcaneus in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wear, Keith A; Nagaraja, Srinidhi; Dreher, Maureen L; Sadoughi, Saghi; Zhu, Shan; Keaveny, Tony M

    2017-10-01

    Clinical bone sonometers applied at the calcaneus measure broadband ultrasound attenuation and speed of sound. However, the relation of ultrasound measurements to bone strength is not well-characterized. Addressing this issue, we assessed the extent to which ultrasonic measurements convey in vitro mechanical properties in 25 human calcaneal cancellous bone specimens (approximately 2×4×2cm). Normalized broadband ultrasound attenuation, speed of sound, and broadband ultrasound backscatter were measured with 500kHz transducers. To assess mechanical properties, non-linear finite element analysis, based on micro-computed tomography images (34-micron cubic voxel), was used to estimate apparent elastic modulus, overall specimen stiffness, and apparent yield stress, with models typically having approximately 25-30 million elements. We found that ultrasound parameters were correlated with mechanical properties with R=0.70-0.82 (pmechanical properties beyond that provided by bone quantity alone (p≤0.05). Adding ultrasound variables to linear regression models based on bone quantity improved adjusted squared correlation coefficients from 0.65 to 0.77 (stiffness), 0.76 to 0.81 (apparent modulus), and 0.67 to 0.73 (yield stress). These results indicate that ultrasound can provide complementary (to bone quantity) information regarding mechanical behavior of cancellous bone. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  6. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... flat sections of the body. Advancements in ultrasound technology include three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound that formats ... at these links. About Us | Contact Us | FAQ | Privacy | Terms of Use | Links | Site Map Copyright © 2018 ...

  7. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... 3-D) ultrasound that formats the sound wave data into 3-D images. A Doppler ultrasound study ... at these links. About Us | Contact Us | FAQ | Privacy | Terms of Use | Links | Site Map Copyright © 2018 ...

  8. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... testing. image the breasts and guide biopsy of breast cancer ( see the Ultrasound-Guided Breast Biopsy page . diagnose ... Ultrasound is the preferred imaging modality for the diagnosis and monitoring of pregnant women and their unborn ...

  9. CT and Ultrasound Guided Stereotactic High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Bradford J.; Yanof, J.; Frenkel, V.; Viswanathan, A.; Dromi, S.; Oh, K.; Kruecker, J.; Bauer, C.; Seip, R.; Kam, A.; Li, K. C. P.

    2006-05-01

    To demonstrate the feasibility of CT and B-mode Ultrasound (US) targeted HIFU, a prototype coaxial focused ultrasound transducer was registered and integrated to a CT scanner. CT and diagnostic ultrasound were used for HIFU targeting and monitoring, with the goals of both thermal ablation and non-thermal enhanced drug delivery. A 1 megahertz coaxial ultrasound transducer was custom fabricated and attached to a passive position-sensing arm and an active six degree-of-freedom robotic arm via a CT stereotactic frame. The outer therapeutic transducer with a 10 cm fixed focal zone was coaxially mounted to an inner diagnostic US transducer (2-4 megahertz, Philips Medical Systems). This coaxial US transducer was connected to a modified commercial focused ultrasound generator (Focus Surgery, Indianapolis, IN) with a maximum total acoustic power of 100 watts. This pre-clinical paradigm was tested for ability to heat tissue in phantoms with monitoring and navigation from CT and live US. The feasibility of navigation via image fusion of CT with other modalities such as PET and MRI was demonstrated. Heated water phantoms were tested for correlation between CT numbers and temperature (for ablation monitoring). The prototype transducer and integrated CT/US imaging system enabled simultaneous multimodality imaging and therapy. Pre-clinical phantom models validated the treatment paradigm and demonstrated integrated multimodality guidance and treatment monitoring. Temperature changes during phantom cooling corresponded to CT number changes. Contrast enhanced or non-enhanced CT numbers may potentially be used to monitor thermal ablation with HIFU. Integrated CT, diagnostic US, and therapeutic focused ultrasound bridges a gap between diagnosis and therapy. Preliminary results show that the multimodality system may represent a relatively inexpensive, accessible, and simple method of both targeting and monitoring HIFU effects. Small animal pre-clinical models may be translated to large

  10. General Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... Ultrasound is safe, noninvasive, and does not use ionizing radiation. This procedure requires little to no special preparation. ... create an image. Ultrasound examinations do not use ionizing radiation (as used in x-rays ), thus there is ...

  11. Children's (Pediatric) Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Physician Resources Professions Site Index A-Z Children's (Pediatric) Ultrasound - Abdomen Children’s (pediatric) ultrasound imaging of the ... abdomen using ultrasound. View full size with caption Pediatric Content Some imaging tests and treatments have special ...

  12. Quantitative assessment of cerebral glucose metabolic rates after blood-brain barrier disruption induced by focused ultrasound using FDG-MicroPET.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Feng-Yi; Chang, Wen-Yuan; Chen, Jyh-Cheng; Lee, Lin-Chien; Hung, Yi-Shun

    2014-04-15

    The goal of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of (18)F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose ((18)F-FDG) and the expression of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) protein after blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption of normal rat brains by focused ultrasound (FUS). After delivery of an intravenous bolus of ~37 MBq (1 mCi) (18)F-FDG, dynamic positron emission tomography scans were performed on rats with normal brains and those whose BBBs had been disrupted by FUS. Arterial blood sampling was collected throughout the scanning procedure. A 2-tissue compartmental model was used to estimate (18)F-FDG kinetic parameters in brain tissues. The rate constants Ki, K1, and k3 were assumed to characterize the uptake, transport, and hexokinase activity, respectively, of (18)F-FDG. The uptake of (18)F-FDG in brains significantly decreased immediately after the blood-brain barrier was disrupted. At the same time, the derived values of Ki, K1, and k3 for the sonicated brains were significantly lower than those for the control brains. In agreement with the reduction in glucose, Western blot analyses confirmed that focused ultrasound exposure significantly reduced the expression of GLUT1 protein in the brains. Furthermore, the effect of focused ultrasound on glucose uptake was transient and reversible 24h after sonication. Our results indicate that focused ultrasound may inhibit GLUT1 expression to decrease the glucose uptake in brain tissue during the period of BBB disruption. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Techniques and evaluation from a cross-platform imaging comparison of quantitative ultrasound parameters in an in vivo rodent fibroadenoma model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wirtzfeld, Lauren A; Nam, Kibo; Labyed, Yassin; Ghoshal, Goutam; Haak, Alexander; Sen-Gupta, Ellora; He, Zhi; Hirtz, Nathaniel R; Miller, Rita J; Sarwate, Sandhya; Simpson, Douglas G; Zagzebski, James A; Bigelow, Timothy A; Oelze, Michael; Hall, Timothy J; O'Brien, William D

    2013-07-01

    This contribution demonstrates that quantitative ultrasound (QUS) capabilities are platform independent, using an in vivo model. Frequency-dependent attenuation estimates, backscatter coefficient, and effective scatterer diameter estimates are shown to be comparable across four different ultrasound imaging systems with varied processing techniques. The backscatter coefficient (BSC) is a fundamental material property from which several QUS parameters are estimated; therefore, consistent BSC estimates among different systems must be demonstrated. This study is an intercomparison of BSC estimates acquired by three research groups (UIUC, UW, ISU) from four in vivo spontaneous rat mammary fibroadenomas using three clinical array systems and a single-element laboratory scanner system. Because of their highly variable backscatter properties, fibroadenomas provided an extreme test case for BSC analysis, and the comparison is across systems for each tumor, not across the highly heterogeneous tumors. RF echo data spanning the 1 to 12 MHz frequency range were acquired in three dimensions from all animals using each system. Each research group processed their RF data independently, and the resulting attenuation, BSC, and effective scatterer diameter (ESD) estimates were compared. The attenuation estimates across all systems showed the same trends and consistently fit the power-law dependence on frequency. BSCs varied among the multiple slices of data acquired by each transducer, with variations between transducers being of a similar magnitude as those from slice to slice. Variation between BSC estimates was assessed via functional signal-to-noise ratios derived from backscatter data. These functional signal-to-noise ratios indicated that BSC versus frequency variations between systems ranged from negligible compared with the noise level to roughly twice the noise level. The corresponding functional analysis of variance (fANOVA) indicated statistically significant differences

  14. The effect of the shape and size of gold seeds irradiated with ultrasound on the bio-heat transfer in tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gkigkitzis, Ioannis; Austerlitz, Carlos; Haranas, Ioannis; Campos, Diana

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this report is to propose a new methodology to treat prostate cancer with macro-rod-shaped gold seeds irradiated with ultrasound and develop a new computational method for temperature and thermal dose control of hyperthermia therapy induced by the proposed procedure. A computer code representation, based on the bio-heat diffusion equation, was developed to calculate the heat deposition and temperature elevation patterns in a gold rod and in the tissue surrounding it as a result of different therapy durations and ultrasound power simulations. The numerical results computed provide quantitative information on the interaction between high-energy ultrasound, gold seeds and biological tissues and can replicate the pattern observed in experimental studies. The effect of differences in shapes and sizes of gold rod targets irradiated with ultrasound is calculated and the heat enhancement and the bio-heat transfer in tissue are analyzed.

  15. Evolution of contrast agents for ultrasound imaging and ultrasound-mediated drug delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vera ePaefgen

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Ultrasound is one of the most frequently used diagnostic methods. It is a non-invasive, comparably inexpensive imaging method with a broad spectrum of applications, which can be increased even more by using bubbles as contrast agents. There are various different types of bubbles: filled with different gases, composed of soft- or hard-shell materials, and ranging in size from nano- to micrometers. These intravascular contrast agents enable functional analyses, e.g. to acquire organ perfusion in real-time. Molecular analyses are achieved by coupling specific ligands to the bubbles’ shell, which bind to marker molecules in the area of interest. Bubbles can also be loaded with or attached to drugs, peptides or genes and can be destroyed by ultrasound pulses to locally release the entrapped agent. Recent studies show that ultrasound contrast agents are also valuable tools in hyperthermia-induced ablation therapy of tumors, or can increase cellular uptake of locally released drugs by enhancing membrane permeability. This review summarizes important steps in the development of ultrasound contrast agents and introduces the current clinical applications of contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Additionally, an overview of the recent developments in ultrasound probe design for functional and molecular diagnosis as well as for drug delivery is given.

  16. Quantum oscillation amplification of the ultrasound polarization parameters in tungsten during coupling with the spiral wave

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gudkov, V.V.; Zhevstovskikh, I.V.; Zimbovskaya, N.A.; Okulov, V.I.

    1991-01-01

    The quantum oscillations are studied of ellipcity, the rotation angle of the ultrasound polarization plane, the velocity and absorption of waves polarized circularly at the 196 MHz frequency in a tungsten single crystal in magnetic field of 30-80 kOe at temperature 1,8 K. The oscillation amplitudes of ellipticity and rotation angle of the ultrasound polarization plane beyond the Doppler-shifted cyclotron resonance are found to vary nonmonotonously with field and to be large enough, so that they are not described by the simple expressions for high fields. The explanation for the oscillation amplification of the polarization parameters is given within the theory involving the ultrasound-spiral wave coupling predicted by Kaner and Skobov. The quantitative comparison in details demonstrates a good agreement in the theory and experimental data and allows to find the numerical values of new parameters characterizing the Fermi surface, electron relaxation frequency, and deformation potential

  17. Children's (Pediatric) Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... child's abdominal ultrasound examination. Doppler ultrasound , also called color Doppler ultrasonography, is a special ultrasound technique that ... and processes the sounds and creates graphs or color pictures that represent the flow of blood through ...

  18. Changes in distribution of bone densitometry equipment from 1996 to 2006 in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamauchi, Hirose; Fukunaga, Masao; Nishikawa, Akira; Orimo, Hajime

    2010-01-01

    Many types of bone densitometry equipment are available in Japan, but the numbers of such machines and the numbers of institutions that offer bone densitometry have not been clarified. We analyzed the data from annual surveys conducted by the Japan Osteoporosis Foundation from 1996 to 2006, and we obtained the following results on the use of densitometry equipment: (1) In 1996 there were 6,687 units of bone densitometry equipment in 6,483 institutions in Japan; in 2006 there were 16,371 units in 15,020 institutions. (2) In 2006, of the types of institutions with bone densitometry equipment, the number of clinics was the highest, followed in order by general hospitals, other types of institutions, screening institutions and university hospitals. Rates of increase in the installation of equipment in clinics and other types of institutions were high during the 11-year period from 1996. (3) From 1996 to 2006 the region of interest most frequently used for bone densitometry was the radius. However, during the 11-year period, the proportion of radial densitometry equipment in all institutions with bone densitometry equipment decreased, whereas the proportion of calcaneal densitometry equipment increased. (4) The number of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) units was the highest from 1996 to 2006. However, the proportion of DXA machines in all institutions with bone densitometry equipment decreased over the 11-year period, whereas the proportion of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) machines increased. (5) In 2006, bone densitometry equipment was available in 118 institutions per million Japanese people. Central DXA (spine/hip) equipment was available in 15 per million, radial DXA equipment in 63 per million, and calcaneal QUS equipment in 44 per million. (6) In 2006, among those places with bone densitometry equipment, 46% of university hospitals, 14% of general hospitals, 12% of screening institutions, 5% of clinics, and 6% of other types of institutions possessed more

  19. Children's (Pediatric) Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... Physician Resources Professions Site Index A-Z Children's (Pediatric) Ultrasound - Abdomen Children’s (pediatric) ultrasound imaging of the ... abdomen using ultrasound. View full size with caption Pediatric Content Some imaging tests and treatments have special ...

  20. Children's (Pediatric) Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

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    Full Text Available ... News Physician Resources Professions Site Index A-Z Children's (Pediatric) Ultrasound - Abdomen Children’s (pediatric) ultrasound imaging of ... 30 minutes. top of page What will my child experience during and after the procedure? Ultrasound examinations ...

  1. Advances in lung ultrasound

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Francisco Neto, Miguel Jose; Rahal Junior, Antonio; Vieira, Fabio Augusto Cardillo; Silva, Paulo Savoia Dias da; Funari, Marcelo Buarque de Gusmao

    2016-01-01

    Ultrasound examination of the chest has advanced in recent decades. This imaging modality is currently used to diagnose several pathological conditions and provides qualitative and quantitative information. Acoustic barriers represented by the aerated lungs and the bony framework of the chest generate well-described sonographic artifacts that can be used as diagnostic aids. The normal pleural line and A, B, C, E and Z lines (also known as false B lines) are artifacts with specific characteristics. Lung consolidation and pneumothorax sonographic patterns are also well established. Some scanning protocols have been used in patient management. The Blue, FALLS and C.A.U.S.E. protocols are examples of algorithms using artifact combinations to achieve accurate diagnoses. Combined chest ultrasonography and radiography are often sufficient to diagnose and manage lung and chest wall conditions. Chest ultrasonography is a highly valuable diagnostic tool for radiologists, emergency and intensive care physicians. (author)

  2. Research interface on a programmable ultrasound scanner.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shamdasani, Vijay; Bae, Unmin; Sikdar, Siddhartha; Yoo, Yang Mo; Karadayi, Kerem; Managuli, Ravi; Kim, Yongmin

    2008-07-01

    Commercial ultrasound machines in the past did not provide the ultrasound researchers access to raw ultrasound data. Lack of this ability has impeded evaluation and clinical testing of novel ultrasound algorithms and applications. Recently, we developed a flexible ultrasound back-end where all the processing for the conventional ultrasound modes, such as B, M, color flow and spectral Doppler, was performed in software. The back-end has been incorporated into a commercial ultrasound machine, the Hitachi HiVision 5500. The goal of this work is to develop an ultrasound research interface on the back-end for acquiring raw ultrasound data from the machine. The research interface has been designed as a software module on the ultrasound back-end. To increase the amount of raw ultrasound data that can be spooled in the limited memory available on the back-end, we have developed a method that can losslessly compress the ultrasound data in real time. The raw ultrasound data could be obtained in any conventional ultrasound mode, including duplex and triplex modes. Furthermore, use of the research interface does not decrease the frame rate or otherwise affect the clinical usability of the machine. The lossless compression of the ultrasound data in real time can increase the amount of data spooled by approximately 2.3 times, thus allowing more than 6s of raw ultrasound data to be acquired in all the modes. The interface has been used not only for early testing of new ideas with in vitro data from phantoms, but also for acquiring in vivo data for fine-tuning ultrasound applications and conducting clinical studies. We present several examples of how newer ultrasound applications, such as elastography, vibration imaging and 3D imaging, have benefited from this research interface. Since the research interface is entirely implemented in software, it can be deployed on existing HiVision 5500 ultrasound machines and may be easily upgraded in the future. The developed research

  3. Surgical fiducial segmentation and tracking for pose estimation based on ultrasound B-mode images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lei Chen; Kuo, Nathanael; Aalamifar, Fereshteh; Narrow, David; Coon, Devin; Prince, Jerry; Boctor, Emad M

    2016-08-01

    Doppler ultrasound is a non-invasive diagnostic tool for the quantitative measurement of blood flow. However, given that it provides velocity data that is dependent on the location and angle of measurement, repeat measurements to detect problems over time may require an expert to return to the same location. We therefore developed an image-guidance system based on ultrasound B-mode images that enables an inexperienced user to position the ultrasound probe at the same site repeatedly in order to acquire a comparable time series of Doppler readings. The system utilizes a bioresorbable fiducial and complementing software composed of the fiducial detection, key points tracking, probe pose estimation, and graphical user interface (GUI) modules. The fiducial is an echogenic marker that is implanted at the surgical site and can be detected and tracked during ultrasound B-mode screening. The key points on the marker can next be used to determine the pose of the ultrasound probe with respect to the marker. The 3D representation of the probe with its position and orientation are then displayed in the GUI for the user guidance. The fiducial detection has been tested on the data sets collected from three animal studies. The pose estimation algorithm was validated by five data sets collected by a UR5 robot. We tested the system on a plastisol phantom and showed that it can detect and track the fiducial marker while displaying the probe pose in real-time.

  4. How to learn and to perform endoscopic ultrasound and endobronchial ultrasound for lung cancer staging

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Konge, Lars; Colella, Sara; Vilmann, Peter

    2015-01-01

    The learning of transesophageal ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) (endoscopic ultrasound-FNA), and endobronchial ultrasound guided transbronchial needle aspiration (endosonography) should be based on the following steps: Acquiring theoretical knowledge, training on simulators, and su...

  5. Molecular Ultrasound Imaging for the Detection of Neural Inflammation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volz, Kevin R.

    performed while targeting three early inflammatory markers (P-selectin, VCAM-1, ICAM-1). Imaging protocols and outcome measures of previous TCEUS investigations of inflammation were replicated to aid in comparisons of outcomes. Signal intensity data was used to generate time intensity curves for qualitative and quantitative analysis of contrast agent temporal behavior. A proof of principle study established preclinical evidence to support the ability of TCEUS to detect acute neural inflammation. Substantial increases in signal intensities were observed while targeting inflammatory markers compared to controls. Further investigations consisted of examining molecular ultrasound sensitivity, and were accomplished by examining targeted contrast agent dosing parameters, and the ability of TCEUS to longitudinally evaluate neural inflammation. Qualitative analysis of TCEUS imaging performed with both administered doses revealed marked increases in signal intensities during acute inflammation, where inflammatory marker expression was presumably at its highest. This was in comparison to measures obtained in the absence of, and during, chronic inflammation. This research contributes much needed empirical evidence to the molecular ultrasound body of literature, and represents the first steps towards advancing this TCEUS application to clinical practice. Future studies are necessary to further these findings and effectively build upon this evidence. Increasing evidence of TCEUS use for the detection of neural inflammation will aid in its eventual clinical translation, where it will likely have a positive impact on patient care.

  6. In-vivo studies of new vector velocity and adaptive spectral estimators in medical ultrasound

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Kristoffer Lindskov

    In this PhD project new ultrasound techniques for blood flow measurements have been investigated in-vivo. The focus has mainly been on vector velocity techniques and four different approaches have been examined: Transverse Oscillation, Synthetic Transmit Aperture, Directional Beamforming and Plane...... in conventional Doppler ultrasound. That is angle dependency, reduced temporal resolution and low frame rate. Transverse Oscillation, Synthetic Transmit Aperture and Directional Beamforming can estimate the blood velocity angle independently. The three methods were validated in-vivo against magnetic resonance...... phase contrast angiography when measuring stroke volumes in simple vessel geometry on 11 volunteers. Using linear regression and Bland-Altman analyses good agreements were found, indicating that vector velocity methods can be used for quantitative blood flow measurements. Plane Wave Excitation can...

  7. Medical ultrasound imaging

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

    2007-01-01

    The paper gives an introduction to current medical ultrasound imaging systems. The basics of anatomic and blood flow imaging are described. The properties of medical ultrasound and its focusing are described, and the various methods for two- and three-dimensional imaging of the human anatomy...

  8. Children's (Pediatric) Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... is Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging? What are some common uses of the procedure? How should we prepare for an ultrasound exam? What does the ultrasound equipment look like? How does the procedure work? How is the procedure performed? What will my ...

  9. Children's (Pediatric) Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... waves from passing into your body. The sonographer (ultrasound technologist) or radiologist then places the transducer on the skin in various locations, sweeping over the area of interest or angling the ... ultrasound images are reviewed. An ultrasound examination is usually ...

  10. Developing an emergency ultrasound app

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Foss, Kim Thestrup; Subhi, Yousif; Aagaard, Rasmus

    2015-01-01

    Focused emergency ultrasound is rapidly evolving as a clinical skill for bedside examination by physicians at all levels of education. Ultrasound is highly operator-dependent and relevant training is essential to ensure appropriate use. When supplementing hands-on focused ultrasound courses, e-le...

  11. MO-AB-210-00: Diagnostic Ultrasound Imaging Quality Control and High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Therapy Hands-On Workshop

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2015-01-01

    The goal of this ultrasound hands-on workshop is to demonstrate advancements in high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and to demonstrate quality control (QC) testing in diagnostic ultrasound. HIFU is a therapeutic modality that uses ultrasound waves as carriers of energy. HIFU is used to focus a beam of ultrasound energy into a small volume at specific target locations within the body. The focused beam causes localized high temperatures and produces a well-defined regions of necrosis. This completely non-invasive technology has great potential for tumor ablation and targeted drug delivery. At the workshop, attendees will see configurations, applications, and hands-on demonstrations with on-site instructors at separate stations. The involvement of medical physicists in diagnostic ultrasound imaging service is increasing due to QC and accreditation requirements. At the workshop, an array of ultrasound testing phantoms and ultrasound scanners will be provided for attendees to learn diagnostic ultrasound QC in a hands-on environment with live demonstrations of the techniques. Target audience: Medical physicists and other medical professionals in diagnostic imaging and radiation oncology with interest in high-intensity focused ultrasound and in diagnostic ultrasound QC. Learning Objectives: Learn ultrasound physics and safety for HIFU applications through live demonstrations Get an overview of the state-of-the art in HIFU technologies and equipment Gain familiarity with common elements of a quality control program for diagnostic ultrasound imaging Identify QC tools available for testing diagnostic ultrasound systems and learn how to use these tools List of supporting vendors for HIFU and diagnostic ultrasound QC hands-on workshop: Philips Healthcare Alpinion Medical Systems Verasonics, Inc Zonare Medical Systems, Inc Computerized Imaging Reference Systems (CIRS), Inc. GAMMEX, Inc., Cablon Medical BV Steffen Sammet: NIH/NCI grant 5R25CA132822, NIH/NINDS grant 5R25NS

  12. MO-AB-210-00: Diagnostic Ultrasound Imaging Quality Control and High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Therapy Hands-On Workshop

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2015-06-15

    The goal of this ultrasound hands-on workshop is to demonstrate advancements in high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and to demonstrate quality control (QC) testing in diagnostic ultrasound. HIFU is a therapeutic modality that uses ultrasound waves as carriers of energy. HIFU is used to focus a beam of ultrasound energy into a small volume at specific target locations within the body. The focused beam causes localized high temperatures and produces a well-defined regions of necrosis. This completely non-invasive technology has great potential for tumor ablation and targeted drug delivery. At the workshop, attendees will see configurations, applications, and hands-on demonstrations with on-site instructors at separate stations. The involvement of medical physicists in diagnostic ultrasound imaging service is increasing due to QC and accreditation requirements. At the workshop, an array of ultrasound testing phantoms and ultrasound scanners will be provided for attendees to learn diagnostic ultrasound QC in a hands-on environment with live demonstrations of the techniques. Target audience: Medical physicists and other medical professionals in diagnostic imaging and radiation oncology with interest in high-intensity focused ultrasound and in diagnostic ultrasound QC. Learning Objectives: Learn ultrasound physics and safety for HIFU applications through live demonstrations Get an overview of the state-of-the art in HIFU technologies and equipment Gain familiarity with common elements of a quality control program for diagnostic ultrasound imaging Identify QC tools available for testing diagnostic ultrasound systems and learn how to use these tools List of supporting vendors for HIFU and diagnostic ultrasound QC hands-on workshop: Philips Healthcare Alpinion Medical Systems Verasonics, Inc Zonare Medical Systems, Inc Computerized Imaging Reference Systems (CIRS), Inc. GAMMEX, Inc., Cablon Medical BV Steffen Sammet: NIH/NCI grant 5R25CA132822, NIH/NINDS grant 5R25NS

  13. Portable bladder ultrasound: an evidence-based analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2006-01-01

    The aim of this review was to assess the clinical utility of portable bladder ultrasound. TARGET POPULATION AND CONDITION Data from the National Population Health Survey indicate prevalence rates of urinary incontinence are 2.5% in women and 1.4 % in men in the general population. Prevalence of urinary incontinence is higher in women than men and prevalence increases with age. Identified risk factors for urinary incontinence include female gender, increasing age, urinary tract infections (UTI), poor mobility, dementia, smoking, obesity, consuming alcohol and caffeine beverages, physical activity, pregnancy, childbirth, forceps and vacuum-assisted births, episiotomy, abdominal resection for colorectal cancer, and hormone replacement therapy. For the purposes of this review, incontinence populations will be stratified into the following; the elderly, urology patients, postoperative patients, rehabilitation settings, and neurogenic bladder populations. Urinary incontinence is defined as any involuntary leakage of urine. Incontinence can be classified into diagnostic clinical types that are useful in planning evaluation and treatment. The major types of incontinence are stress (physical exertion), urge (overactive bladder), mixed (combined urge and stress urinary incontinence), reflex (neurological impairment of the central nervous system), overflow (leakage due to full bladder), continuous (urinary tract abnormalities), congenital incontinence, and transient incontinence (temporary incontinence). Postvoid residual (PVR) urine volume, which is the amount of urine in the bladder immediately after urination, represents an important component in continence assessment and bladder management to provide quantitative feedback to the patient and continence care team regarding the effectiveness of the voiding technique. Although there is no standardized definition of normal PVR urine volume, measurements greater than 100 mL to 150 mL are considered an indication for urinary

  14. Endobronchial ultrasound elastography: a new method in endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Jun-Hong; Turner, J Francis; Huang, Jian-An

    2015-12-01

    TBNA through the flexible bronchoscope is a 37-year-old technology that utilizes a TBNA needle to puncture the bronchial wall and obtain specimens of peribronchial and mediastinal lesions through the flexible bronchoscope for the diagnosis of benign and malignant diseases in the mediastinum and lung. Since 2002, the Olympus Company developed the first generation ultrasound equipment for use in the airway, initially utilizing an ultrasound probe introduced through the working channel followed by incoroporation of a fixed linear ultrasound array at the distal tip of the bronchoscope. This new bronchoscope equipped with a convex type ultrasound probe on the tip was subsequently introduced into clinical practice. The convex probe (CP)-EBUS allows real-time endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) of mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. EBUS-TBNA is a minimally invasive procedure performed under local anesthesia that has been shown to have a high sensitivity and diagnostic yield for lymph node staging of lung cancer. In 10 years of EBUS development, the Olympus Company developed the second generation EBUS bronchoscope (BF-UC260FW) with the ultrasound image processor (EU-M1), and in 2013 introduced a new ultrasound image processor (EU-M2) into clinical practice. FUJI company has also developed a curvilinear array endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscope (EB-530 US) that makes it easier for the operator to master the operation of the ultrasonic bronchoscope. Also, the new thin convex probe endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscope (TCP-EBUS) is able to visualize one to three bifurcations distal to the current CP-EBUS. The emergence of EBUS-TBNA has also been accompanied by innovation in EBUS instruments. EBUS elastography is, then, a new technique for describing the compliance of structures during EBUS, which may be of use in the determination of metastasis to the mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. This article describes these new EBUS

  15. Physics of Ultrasound. Chapter 12

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lacefield, J. C. [University of Western Ontario, London (Canada)

    2014-09-15

    Ultrasound is the most commonly used diagnostic imaging modality, accounting for approximately 25% of all imaging examinations performed worldwide at the beginning of the 21st century. The success of ultrasound may be attributed to a number of attractive characteristics, including the relatively low cost and portability of an ultrasound scanner, the non-ionizing nature of ultrasound waves, the ability to produce real time images of blood flow and moving structures such as the beating heart, and the intrinsic contrast among soft tissue structures that is achieved without the need for an injected contrast agent. The latter characteristic enables ultrasound to be used for a wide range of medical applications, which historically have primarily included cardiac and vascular imaging, imaging of the abdominal organs and, most famously, in utero imaging of the developing fetus. Ongoing technological improvements continue to expand the use of ultrasound for many applications, including cancer imaging, musculoskeletal imaging, ophthalmology and others. The term ultrasound refers specifically to acoustic waves at frequencies greater than the maximum frequency audible to humans, which is nominally 20 kHz. Diagnostic imaging is generally performed using ultrasound in the frequency range of 2–15 MHz. The choice of frequency is dictated by a trade off between spatial resolution and penetration depth, since higher frequency waves can be focused more tightly but are attenuated more rapidly by tissue. The information contained in an ultrasonic image is influenced by the physical processes underlying propagation, reflection and attenuation of ultrasound waves in tissue.

  16. PTT functional recovery in early stage II PTTD after tendon balancing and calcaneal lengthening osteotomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brilhault, Jean; Noël, Vincent

    2012-10-01

    The decision to offer surgery for Stage II posterior tibial tendon deficiency (PTTD) is a difficult one since orthotic treatment has been documented to be a viable alternative to surgery at this stage. Taking this into consideration we limited our treatment to bony realignment by a lengthening calcaneus Evans osteotomy and tendon balancing. The goal of the study was to clinically evaluate PTT functional recovery with this procedure. The patient population included 17 feet in 13 patients. Inclusion was limited to early Stage II PTTD flatfeet with grossly intact but deficient PTT. Deficiency was assessed by the lack of hindfoot inversion during single heel rise test. The surgical procedure included an Evans calcaneal opening wedge osteotomy with triceps surae and peroneus brevis tendon lengthening. PTT function at follow up was evaluated by an independent examiner. Evaluation was performed at an average of 4 (range, 2 to 6.3) years. One case presented postoperative subtalar pain that required subtalar fusion. Every foot could perform a single heel rise with 13 feet having active inversion of the hindfoot during elevation. The results of this study provide evidence of PTT functional recovery without augmentation in early Stage II. It challenges our understanding of early Stage II PTTD as well as the surgical guidelines recommending PTT augmentation at this specific stage.

  17. General Ultrasound Imaging

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... to image by ultrasound because greater amounts of tissue attenuate (weaken) the sound waves as they pass deeper into the body and need to be returned to the transducer for analysis. Ultrasound has difficulty penetrating bone and, therefore, can only see the outer surface ...

  18. [Basics of emergency ultrasound].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schellhaas, S; Breitkreutz, R

    2012-09-05

    Focused ultrasound is a key methodology of critical care medicine. By referencing few ultrasound differential diagnosis, it is possible to identifying in real-time the reason of the critical state of a patient. Therefore typical focused ultrasound protocols were developed. The well known Focused Assessment with Sonography for trauma (FAST) was incorporated into the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) for shock room. Focused echocardiographic evaluation in life support (FEEL) has been designed to be conformed with the universal Advanced Life Support (ALS) algorithm and to identify treatable conditions such as acute right ventricular pressure overload in pulmonary embolism, hypovolemia, or pericardial effusion/tamponade. Using lung ultrasound one can differentiate pulmonary edema, pleural effusion or pneumothorax.

  19. Ultrasound call detection in capybara

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Selene S.C. Nogueira

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available The vocal repertoire of some animal species has been considered a non-invasive tool to predict distress reactivity. In rats ultrasound emissions were reported as distress indicator. Capybaras[ vocal repertoire was reported recently and seems to have ultrasound calls, but this has not yet been confirmed. Thus, in order to check if a poor state of welfare was linked to ultrasound calls in the capybara vocal repertoire, the aim of this study was to track the presence of ultrasound emissions in 11 animals under three conditions: 1 unrestrained; 2 intermediately restrained, and 3 highly restrained. The ultrasound track identified frequencies in the range of 31.8±3.5 kHz in adults and 33.2±8.5 kHz in juveniles. These ultrasound frequencies occurred only when animals were highly restrained, physically restrained or injured during handling. We concluded that these calls with ultrasound components are related to pain and restraint because they did not occur when animals were free of restraint. Thus we suggest that this vocalization may be used as an additional tool to assess capybaras[ welfare.

  20. Obstetrical ultrasound

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bundy, A.L.

    1988-01-01

    The use of diagnostic ultrasound in obstetrics may provide fuel for legal action. While most legal implications of this relatively new imaging modality are purely speculative, some have already given rise to legal action. Several situations will likely provide a basis for the courts to find against the physician. The failure to perform a sonogram when clinically indicated will most likely be the strongest plaintiff argument. Other major concerns include the use and availability of state-of-the-art equipment, as well as interpretation of the scans by a trained physician. Obstetrical ultrasound is usually performed by a radiologist or obstetrician. However, many physicians performing these examinations have had little or no formal training in the field. While this is now being remedied by the respective board examines who require a certain amount of training, it may not be enough. When ultrasound-related cases reach the courts, the involved physicians will most likely be regarded as experts in the field and, therefore, will be held to a very high standard of care. This would be difficult to achieve without formal training. At the present time, the American Board of Radiology requires more training time in ultrasound than the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology

  1. Improved heating efficiency with High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound using a new ultrasound source excitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bigelow, Timothy A

    2009-01-01

    High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is quickly becoming one of the best methods to thermally ablate tissue noninvasively. Unlike RF or Laser ablation, the tissue can be destroyed without inserting any probes into the body minimizing the risk of secondary complications such as infections. In this study, the heating efficiency of HIFU sources is improved by altering the excitation of the ultrasound source to take advantage of nonlinear propagation. For ultrasound, the phase velocity of the ultrasound wave depends on the amplitude of the wave resulting in the generation of higher harmonics. These higher harmonics are more efficiently converted into heat in the body due to the frequency dependence of the ultrasound absorption in tissue. In our study, the generation of the higher harmonics by nonlinear propagation is enhanced by transmitting an ultrasound wave with both the fundamental and a higher harmonic component included. Computer simulations demonstrated up to a 300% increase in temperature increase compared to transmitting at only the fundamental for the same acoustic power transmitted by the source.

  2. Reduced quantitative ultrasound bone mineral density in HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy in Senegal.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amandine Cournil

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Bone status in HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral treatment (ART is poorly documented in resource-limited settings. We compared bone mineral density between HIV-infected patients and control subjects from Dakar, Senegal. METHODS: A total of 207 (134 women and 73 men HIV-infected patients from an observational cohort in Dakar (ANRS 1215 and 207 age- and sex-matched controls from the general population were enrolled. Bone mineral density was assessed by quantitative ultrasound (QUS at the calcaneus, an alternative to the reference method (i.e. dual X-absorptiometry, often not available in resource-limited countries. RESULTS: Mean age was 47.0 (±8.5 years. Patients had received ART for a median duration of 8.8 years; 45% received a protease inhibitor and 27% tenofovir; 84% had undetectable viral load. Patients had lower body mass index (BMI than controls (23 versus 26 kg/m(2, P<0.001. In unadjusted analysis, QUS bone mineral density was lower in HIV-infected patients than in controls (difference: -0.36 standard deviation, 95% confidence interval (CI: -0.59;-0.12, P = 0.003. Adjusting for BMI, physical activity, smoking and calcium intake attenuated the difference (-0.27, CI: -0.53;-0.002, P = 0.05. Differences in BMI between patients and controls explained a third of the difference in QUS bone mineral density. Among patients, BMI was independently associated with QUS bone mineral density (P<0.001. An association between undetectable viral load and QUS bone density was also suggested (β = 0.48, CI: 0.02;0.93; P = 0.04. No association between protease inhibitor or tenofovir use and QUS bone mineral density was found. CONCLUSION: Senegalese HIV-infected patients had reduced QUS bone mineral density in comparison with control subjects, in part related to their lower BMI. Further investigation is needed to clarify the clinical significance of these observations.

  3. Ultrasound in environmental engineering. Papers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tiehm, A; Neis, U [eds.

    1999-07-01

    This book presents recent research and state-of-the-art information on the scientific basis, modes of use, and engineering developments of ultrasound application in the field of environmental protection. The information is loosely grouped into the following themes: ultrasound and sonochemistry, design of sonoreactors, applications in water, waste water and sludge treatment: aggregation of suspended particles, degradation of hazardous pollutants, disinfection, disintegration of biosolids. Ultrasound is generated and applied at frequencies from 20 kHz to several MHz. Reactor design, applied intensity, duration of sonication, and physico-chemical parameters of the sonicated media influence ultrasound effects. Thus, ultrasound, at a first glance, is a complex and probably confusing matter. This book has been compiled from presentations held at the first workshop 'Ultrasound in Environmental Engineering' on March 22nd and 23rd, 1999, at the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg in cooperation with the German Association for the Water Environment (ATV) and the DECHEMA e.V. (orig.)

  4. Ultrasound in environmental engineering. Papers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tiehm, A.; Neis, U. [eds.

    1999-07-01

    This book presents recent research and state-of-the-art information on the scientific basis, modes of use, and engineering developments of ultrasound application in the field of environmental protection. The information is loosely grouped into the following themes: ultrasound and sonochemistry, design of sonoreactors, applications in water, waste water and sludge treatment: aggregation of suspended particles, degradation of hazardous pollutants, disinfection, disintegration of biosolids. Ultrasound is generated and applied at frequencies from 20 kHz to several MHz. Reactor design, applied intensity, duration of sonication, and physico-chemical parameters of the sonicated media influence ultrasound effects. Thus, ultrasound, at a first glance, is a complex and probably confusing matter. This book has been compiled from presentations held at the first workshop 'Ultrasound in Environmental Engineering' on March 22nd and 23rd, 1999, at the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg in cooperation with the German Association for the Water Environment (ATV) and the DECHEMA e.V. (orig.)

  5. General Ultrasound Imaging

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... women and their unborn babies. Ultrasound provides real-time imaging, making it a good tool for guiding minimally invasive procedures such as needle biopsies and fluid aspiration. Risks For standard diagnostic ultrasound , there are no known harmful effects on humans. top of page What are the ...

  6. Molecular ultrasound imaging: current status and future directions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deshpande, N.; Needles, A.; Willmann, J.K.

    2010-01-01

    Targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound (molecular ultrasound) is an emerging imaging strategy that combines ultrasound technology with novel molecularly-targeted ultrasound contrast agents for assessing biological processes at the molecular level. Molecular ultrasound contrast agents are nano- or micro-sized particles that are targeted to specific molecular markers by adding high-affinity binding ligands onto the surface of the particles. Following intravenous administration, these targeted ultrasound contrast agents accumulate at tissue sites overexpressing specific molecular markers, thereby enhancing the ultrasound imaging signal. High spatial and temporal resolution, real-time imaging, non-invasiveness, relatively low costs, lack of ionising irradiation and wide availability of ultrasound systems are advantages compared to other molecular imaging modalities. In this article we review current concepts and future directions of molecular ultrasound imaging, including different classes of molecular ultrasound contrast agents, ongoing technical developments of pre-clinical and clinical ultrasound systems, the potential of molecular ultrasound for imaging different diseases at the molecular level, and the translation of molecular ultrasound into the clinic.

  7. Prostate ultrasound: back in business!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crisan, Nicolae; Andras, Iulia; Radu, Corina; Andras, David; Coman, Radu-Tudor; Tucan, Paul; Pisla, Doina; Crisan, Dana; Coman, Ioan

    2017-11-29

    The use of grey scale prostate ultrasound decreased after the implementation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis and evaluation of prostate cancer. The new developments, such as multiparametric ultrasound and MRI-ultrasound fusion technology, renewed the interest for this imaging method in the assessment of prostate cancer. The purpose of this paper was to review the current role of prostate ultrasound in the setting of these new applications. A thorough reevaluation of the selection criteria of the patients is required to assess which patients would benefit from multiparametric ultrasound, who wouldbenefit from multiparametric MRI or the combination of both to assist prostate biopsy in order to ensure the balance between overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis of prostate cancer.

  8. Effects of embryonic and fetal exposure to x-ray, microwaves, and ultrasound

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brent, R.L.

    1986-01-01

    Many professionals are unfamiliar with radiation biology or the quantitative nature of the risks. Frequently, microwave, ultrasound, and ionizing radiation risks are confused. Although it is impossible to prove no risk for any environmental hazard, it appears that exposure to microwave radiation below the maximal permissible levels present no measurable risk to the embryo. Ultrasound exposure from diagnostic ultrasonographic imaging equipment also is quite innocuous. It is true that continued surveillance and research into potential risks of these low-level exposures should continue, but at present ultrasound not only improves obstetric care but also reduces the necessity of diagnostic x-ray procedures. In the field of ionizing radiation, we have as good a comprehension of the biologic effects and the quantitative maximum risks as of any other environmental hazard. Although the animal and human data support the conclusion that no increases in the incidence of gross congenital malformations, intrauterine growth retardation, or abortion will occur with exposures less than 5 rad, that does not mean that there are definitely no risks to the embryo exposed to lower doses of radiation. Whether there exists a linear or exponential dose-response relationship or a threshold exposure for genetic, carcinogenic, cell-depleting, and life-shortening effects has not been determined. In establishing maximum permissible levels for the embryo at low exposures, refer to Tables 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9. It is obvious that the risks of 1-rad or 5-rad acute exposure are far below the spontaneous risks of the developing embryo because 15 per cent of human embryos abort, 2.7 to 3.0 per cent of human embryos have major malformations, 4 per cent have intrauterine growth retardation, and 8 to 10 per cent have early- or late-onset genetic disease. 98 references

  9. Ultrasound elastography in patients with rectal cancer treated with chemoradiation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rafaelsen, S R; Vagn-Hansen, C; Sørensen, T

    2013-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The current literature has described several predictive markers in rectal cancer patients treated with chemoradiation, but so far none of them have been validated for clinical use. The purpose of the present study was to compare quantitative elastography based on ultrasound measurements...... in the course of chemoradiation with tumor response based on T stage classification and the Mandard tumor regression grading (TRG). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively examined 31 patients with rectal cancer planned for high dose radiochemotherapy. The tumor and the mesorectal fat elasticity were measured...

  10. Compensated Row-Column Ultrasound Imaging System Using Multilayered Edge Guided Stochastically Fully Connected Random Fields.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben Daya, Ibrahim; Chen, Albert I H; Shafiee, Mohammad Javad; Wong, Alexander; Yeow, John T W

    2017-09-06

    The row-column method received a lot of attention for 3-D ultrasound imaging. By reducing the number of connections required to address the 2-D array and therefore reducing the amount of data to handle, this addressing method allows for real time 3-D imaging. Row-column still has its limitations: the issues of sparsity, speckle noise inherent to ultrasound, the spatially varying point spread function, and the ghosting artifacts inherent to the row-column method must all be taken into account when building a reconstruction framework. In this research, we build on a previously published system and propose an edge-guided, compensated row-column ultrasound imaging system that incorporates multilayered edge-guided stochastically fully connected conditional random fields to address the limitations of the row-column method. Tests carried out on simulated and real row-column ultrasound images show the effectiveness of our proposed system over other published systems. Visual assessment show our proposed system's potential at preserving edges and reducing speckle. Quantitative analysis shows that our proposed system outperforms previously published systems when evaluated with metrics such as Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Coefficient of Correlation, and Effective Number of Looks. These results show the potential of our proposed system as an effective tool for enhancing 3-D row-column imaging.

  11. Acoustically accessible window determination for ultrasound mediated treatment of glycogen storage disease type Ia patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shutao; Raju, Balasundar I.; Leyvi, Evgeniy; Weinstein, David A.; Seip, Ralf

    2012-10-01

    Glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSDIa) is caused by an inherited single-gene defect resulting in an impaired glycogen to glucose conversion pathway. Targeted ultrasound mediated delivery (USMD) of plasmid DNA (pDNA) to liver in conjunction with microbubbles may provide a potential treatment for GSDIa patients. As the success of USMD treatments is largely dependent on the accessibility of the targeted tissue by the focused ultrasound beam, this study presents a quantitative approach to determine the acoustically accessible liver volume in GSDIa patients. Models of focused ultrasound beam profiles for transducers of varying aperture and focal lengths were applied to abdomen models reconstructed from suitable CT and MRI images. Transducer manipulations (simulating USMD treatment procedures) were implemented via transducer translations and rotations with the intent of targeting and exposing the entire liver to ultrasound. Results indicate that acoustically accessible liver volumes can be as large as 50% of the entire liver volume for GSDIa patients and on average 3 times larger compared to a healthy adult group due to GSDIa patients' increased liver size. Detailed descriptions of the evaluation algorithm, transducer-and abdomen models are presented, together with implications for USMD treatments of GSDIa patients and transducer designs for USMD applications.

  12. Ultrasound method applied to characterize healthy femoral diaphysis of Wistar rats in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fontes-Pereira, A.; Matusin, D.P.; Rosa, P.; Schanaider, A.; Krüger, M.A. von; Pereira, W.C.A.

    2014-01-01

    A simple experimental protocol applying a quantitative ultrasound (QUS) pulse-echo technique was used to measure the acoustic parameters of healthy femoral diaphyses of Wistar rats in vivo. Five quantitative parameters [apparent integrated backscatter (AIB), frequency slope of apparent backscatter (FSAB), time slope of apparent backscatter (TSAB), integrated reflection coefficient (IRC), and frequency slope of integrated reflection (FSIR)] were calculated using the echoes from cortical and trabecular bone in the femurs of 14 Wistar rats. Signal acquisition was performed three times in each rat, with the ultrasound signal acquired along the femur's central region from three positions 1 mm apart from each other. The parameters estimated for the three positions were averaged to represent the femur diaphysis. The results showed that AIB, FSAB, TSAB, and IRC values were statistically similar, but the FSIR values from Experiments 1 and 3 were different. Furthermore, Pearson's correlation coefficient showed, in general, strong correlations among the parameters. The proposed protocol and calculated parameters demonstrated the potential to characterize the femur diaphysis of rats in vivo. The results are relevant because rats have a bone structure very similar to humans, and thus are an important step toward preclinical trials and subsequent application of QUS in humans

  13. Two-dimensional grayscale ultrasound and spectral Doppler waveform evaluation of dogs with chronic enteropathies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaschen, Lorrie; Kircher, Patrick

    2007-08-01

    Sonography is an important diagnostic tool to examine the gastrointestinal tract of dogs with chronic diarrhea. Two-dimensional grayscale ultrasound parameters to assess for various enteropathies primarily focus on wall thickness and layering. Mild, generalized thickening of the intestinal wall with maintenance of the wall layering is common in inflammatory bowel disease. Quantitative and semi-quantitative spectral Doppler arterial waveform analysis can be utilized for various enteropathies, including inflammatory bowel disease and food allergies. Dogs with inflammatory bowel disease have inadequate hemodynamic responses during digestion of food. Dogs with food allergies have prolonged vasodilation and lower resistive and pulsatility indices after eating allergen-inducing foods.

  14. Ethical analysis of non-medical fetal ultrasound.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leung, John Lai Yin; Pang, Samantha Mei Che

    2009-09-01

    Obstetric ultrasound is the well-recognized prenatal test used to visualize and determine the condition of a pregnant woman and her fetus. Apart from the clinical application, some businesses have started promoting the use of fetal ultrasound machines for nonmedical reasons. Non-medical fetal ultrasound (also known as 'keepsake' ultrasound) is defined as using ultrasound to view, take a picture, or determine the sex of a fetus without a medical indication. Notwithstanding the guidelines and warnings regarding ultrasound safety issued by governments and professional bodies, the absence of scientifically proven physical harm to fetuses from this procedure seems to provide these businesses with grounds for rapid expansion. However, this argument is too simplistic because current epidemiological evidence is not synchronous with advancing ultrasound technology. As non-medical fetal ultrasound has aroused very significant public attention, a thorough ethical analysis of this topic is essential. Using a multifaceted approach, we analyse the ethical perspective of non-medical fetal ultrasound in terms of the expectant mother, the fetus and health professionals. After applying four major theories of ethics and principles (the precautionary principle; theories of consequentialism and impartiality; duty-based theory; and rights-based theories), we conclude that obstetric ultrasound practice is ethically justifiable only if the indication for its use is based on medical evidence. Non-medical fetal ultrasound can be considered ethically unjustifiable. Nevertheless, the ethical analysis of this issue is time dependent owing to rapid advancements in ultrasound technology and the safety issue. The role of health professionals in ensuring that obstetric ultrasound is an ethically justifiable practice is also discussed.

  15. Doppler ultrasound for diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma: efficacy of ultrasound-based screening score

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nagano Satoshi

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Background. The utility of ultrasound imaging in the screening of soft-part tumours (SPTs has been reported. We classified SPTs according to their blood flow pattern on Doppler ultrasound and re-evaluated the efficacy of this imaging modality as a screening method. Additionally, we combined Doppler ultrasound with several values to improve the diagnostic efficacy and to establish a new diagnostic tool.

  16. Development of Flexible Capacitive Ultrasound Transducers and the Use of Ultrasound for Bone Repair

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wentzell, Scott A.

    Ultrasound is a widely applicable technique for therapy in the biomedical arena. However, conventional ultrasound transducers are not conducive for non-planar surfaces. Therefore, we developed flexible transducers capable of performing ultrasound and evaluated their use in biomedical applications. Flexible capacitive ultrasound transducers based on micrometer-thick dielectric tapes were developed and fabricated. These transducers were able to be made by hand at low-cost while still demonstrating good tolerances in center operating frequency. Intensities of up to 120 mW/cm2 were recorded and operation was dependent upon the applied AC and DC voltages along with the thickness of the dielectric insulation. These capacitive ultrasound transducers were used to stimulate MC3T3-E1 murine osteoblast cells to investigate the effects of low-frequency ultrasound on osteogenic gene expression and anabolic signaling pathways. After stimulation by 94.5 kHz continuous wave ultrasound for 20 minutes, significant increases in the activation of the Wnt signaling pathway and concentration of intracellular calcium were observed. Daily stimulation by ultrasound showed a trend of increased osteogenic gene expression across the phases of matrix deposition, maturation and calcification by osteoblasts. Finally, the heating of osteoblasts for stimulating osteoclastogenic responses was investigated. The application of increased temperatures of 42 and 47 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes showed significant increases in the RANKL/OPG ratio in media conditioned by osteoblasts. However, the altered RANKL/OPG ratio was not able to generate increases in osteoclastogenesis for RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells culture in the condition media. This was possibly due to high overall osteoprotegerin expression, or unwanted inducement of M1 and M2 macrophage activation in the cell population. The overall work of this thesis demonstrates the development of novel capacitive transducers. These conformable

  17. Comparison of naïve Bayes and logistic regression for computer-aided diagnosis of breast masses using ultrasound imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cary, Theodore W.; Cwanger, Alyssa; Venkatesh, Santosh S.; Conant, Emily F.; Sehgal, Chandra M.

    2012-03-01

    This study compares the performance of two proven but very different machine learners, Naïve Bayes and logistic regression, for differentiating malignant and benign breast masses using ultrasound imaging. Ultrasound images of 266 masses were analyzed quantitatively for shape, echogenicity, margin characteristics, and texture features. These features along with patient age, race, and mammographic BI-RADS category were used to train Naïve Bayes and logistic regression classifiers to diagnose lesions as malignant or benign. ROC analysis was performed using all of the features and using only a subset that maximized information gain. Performance was determined by the area under the ROC curve, Az, obtained from leave-one-out cross validation. Naïve Bayes showed significant variation (Az 0.733 +/- 0.035 to 0.840 +/- 0.029, P machine learning models for characterizing solid breast masses on ultrasound.

  18. SUPRA: open-source software-defined ultrasound processing for real-time applications : A 2D and 3D pipeline from beamforming to B-mode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Göbl, Rüdiger; Navab, Nassir; Hennersperger, Christoph

    2018-06-01

    Research in ultrasound imaging is limited in reproducibility by two factors: First, many existing ultrasound pipelines are protected by intellectual property, rendering exchange of code difficult. Second, most pipelines are implemented in special hardware, resulting in limited flexibility of implemented processing steps on such platforms. With SUPRA, we propose an open-source pipeline for fully software-defined ultrasound processing for real-time applications to alleviate these problems. Covering all steps from beamforming to output of B-mode images, SUPRA can help improve the reproducibility of results and make modifications to the image acquisition mode accessible to the research community. We evaluate the pipeline qualitatively, quantitatively, and regarding its run time. The pipeline shows image quality comparable to a clinical system and backed by point spread function measurements a comparable resolution. Including all processing stages of a usual ultrasound pipeline, the run-time analysis shows that it can be executed in 2D and 3D on consumer GPUs in real time. Our software ultrasound pipeline opens up the research in image acquisition. Given access to ultrasound data from early stages (raw channel data, radiofrequency data), it simplifies the development in imaging. Furthermore, it tackles the reproducibility of research results, as code can be shared easily and even be executed without dedicated ultrasound hardware.

  19. Ultrasound appearance of knuckle pads

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lopez-Ben, R. [Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham (United States). Dept. of Diagnostic Radiology; Dehghanpisheh, K.; Chatham, W.W.; Alarcon, G.S. [Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham (United States). Dept. of Medicine; Lee, D.H.; Oakes, J. [Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham (United States). Dept. of Surgery

    2006-11-15

    We describe the ultrasound appearance of knuckle pads. Retrospective analysis of imaging in a series of five patients initially referred for evaluation of periarticular soft-tissue swelling of the hands involving the dorsum of the PIP and MP joints. Two patients had associated Dupuytren's contractures. Ultrasound and radiographs of the hands in all patients were reviewed and correlated with clinical history and physical exams. Radiographs in four patients demonstrated dorsal soft-tissue thickening. Ultrasound exams showed increased dorsal subcutaneous thickening, with either diffuse or focal hypoechoic areas corresponding to the areas of soft-tissue fullness identified on physical exam. No erosions or synovial proliferation were identified either by radiographs or ultrasound of the underlying joints. Knuckle pads can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from synovitis on physical examination. Musculoskeletal ultrasound can quickly identify these superficial lesions and exclude underlying synovial proliferation.

  20. WE-E-9A-01: Ultrasound Elasticity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Emelianov, S [University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX (United States); Hall, T [University of WI-Madison, Madison, WI (United States); Bouchard, R [UT MD Anderson Cancer Center and UTHSC at Houston Graduate School of Biomed, Houston, TX (United States)

    2014-06-15

    Principles and techniques of ultrasound-based elasticity imaging will be presented, including quasistatic strain imaging, shear wave elasticity imaging, and their implementations in available systems. Deeper exploration of quasistatic methods, including elastic relaxation, and their applications, advantages, artifacts and limitations will be discussed. Transient elastography based on progressive and standing shear waves will be explained in more depth, along with applications, advantages, artifacts and limitations, as will measurement of complex elastic moduli. Comparisons will be made between ultrasound radiation force techniques, MR elastography, and the simple A mode plus mechanical plunger technique. Progress in efforts, such as that by the Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance, to reduce the differences in the elastic modulus reported by different commercial systems will be explained. Dr. Hall is on an Advisory Board for Siemens Ultrasound and has a research collaboration with them, including joint funding by R01CA140271 for nonlinear elasticity imaging. Learning Objectives: Be reminded of the long history of palpation of tissue elasticity for critical medical diagnosis and the relatively recent advances to be able to image tissue strain in response to an applied force. Understand the differences between shear wave speed elasticity measurement and imaging and understand the factors affecting measurement and image frame repletion rates. Understand shear wave propagation effects that can affect measurements, such as essentially lack of propagation in fluids and boundary effects, so important in thin layers. Know characteristics of available elasticity imaging phantoms, their uses and limitations. Understand thermal and cavitational limitations affecting radiation force-based shear wave imaging. Have learning and references adequate to for you to use in teaching elasticity imaging to residents and technologists. Be able to explain how elasticity measurement