Ultrasonography.  2016 Apr;35(2):104-109. 10.14366/usg.15072.

Usefulness of strain elastography of the musculoskeletal system

• Kim SJ
• Park HJ
• Lee SY

• KMID: 2319323
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14366/usg.15072

Abstract

Ultrasound elastography is a widely used technique for assessing the mechanical characteristics of tissues. Although there are several ultrasound elastography techniques, strain elastography (SE) is currently the most widely used technique for visualizing an elastographic map in real time. Among its various indications, SE is especially useful in evaluating the musculoskeletal system. In this article, we review the SE techniques for clinical practice and describe the images produced by these techniques in the context of the musculoskeletal system. SE provides information about tissue stiffness and allows real-time visualization of the image; however, SE cannot completely replace gray-scale, color, or power Doppler ultrasonography. SE can increase diagnostic accuracy and may be useful for the follow-up of benign lesions.

Keyword

Soft tissue neoplasms; Elasticity imaging techniques; Ultrasonography

MeSH Terms

Elasticity Imaging Techniques*
Follow-Up Studies
Musculoskeletal System*
Soft Tissue Neoplasms
Ultrasonography
Ultrasonography, Doppler