A Pilot Study on the Effect of Intratendinous Pressure on Shear Wave Elastography in the Achilles Tendon

Tendinopathy alters the biomechanics of Achilles tendon through increased fluid and glycosaminoglycan content. This leads to elevated intratendinous pressure, which comprises the interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) and solid stress. We previously showed that IFP correlates with stiffness estimations from ultrasound Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) in poro-hyperelastic tissue. To test the hypothesis that the same behavior is present in the Achilles tendon, we performed a pilot study of SWE on pressurized ex vivo human Achilles tendon and found that IFP significantly impacts SWE. This implies that IFP must be accounted for to assess tendon stiffness more accurately.