Quantitative Evaluation of Denervated Muscle Atrophy with Shear Wave Ultrasound Elastography and a Comparison with the Histopathologic Parameters in an Animal Model

Publication date: February 2018
Source:Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, Volume 44, Issue 2
Author(s): Jing Wen, Yuexiang Wang, Wenli Jiang, Yukun Luo, Jiang Peng, Mingxue Chen, Xiaoguang Jing
This study explored the efficacy of shear wave ultrasound elastography (SWUE) for quantitative evaluation of denervated muscle atrophy in a rabbit model. The elastic modulus of the triceps surae muscle was measured with SWUE and compared with histopathologic parameters at baseline and at various post-denervation times (2, 4 and 8 wk) with 10 animals in each group. Our results revealed that the elastic modulus of denervated muscle was significantly lower at 2 wk but higher at 8 wk compared with that at the baseline (p < 0.05), and no significant difference was found between the elastic modulus at 4 wk and that at the baseline (p > 0.05). The wet-weight ratio and the muscle fiber cross-sectional area of the denervated muscle decreased gradually during the 8 wk post-denervation together with a gradual increase of the collagen fiber area (p < 0.05). In conclusion, SWUE was useful for quantitative evaluation of muscle denervation. The decreased elastic modulus might be an early sign of denervated muscle atrophy.



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