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Shear wave elastography properties of vastus lateralis and vastus medialis obliquus muscles in normal subjects and female patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome

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Abstract

Objective

The aim of our study was to define and compare the mechanical properties of the vastus lateralis (VL) and vastus medialis obliquus muscles (VMO) by the way of quantitative shear-wave elastography in male and female healthy control (HC) subjects, and in female patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS).

Materials and methods

Twenty-two healthy volunteers (11 male and 11 female) and 11 female patients with anterior knee pain were included in the study. The SWE examinations for VL and VMO were performed while the subjects were performing open kinetic chain exercises in neutral and 30° hip abduction. The contraction capacity (CC) and contraction ratio (CR) values were determined in resting and contraction phases in both hip positions.

Results

The mean elasticity values in the CC for VL and VMO muscles were significantly higher in male HC subjects when compared to female HC subjects (p < 0.05). The CR of the VL muscle in female patients with PFPS was not significantly different than the female HC group. The CR for the VMO muscle was significantly lower in female patients with PFPS when compared to female HC subjects (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

We found a significant VMO weakness, and this method may provide quantitative data that might influence the diagnosis of muscle weakness, in female patients with PFPS.

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Acknowledgments

The authors have not received any financial assistance in the preparation of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Istanbul University, Kocamustafapasa, Istanbul, 34303, Turkey

    Huseyin Botanlioglu, Gokhan Kaynak, Sema Ertan, Onder Aydingoz, Rifat Erginer, Mehmet Can Unlu & Muharrem Babacan

  2. Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Istanbul University, Kocamustafapasa, Istanbul, 34303, Turkey

    Fatih Kantarci, Yelda Unal & Ismail Mihmanli

Authors
  1. Huseyin Botanlioglu
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  2. Fatih Kantarci
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  3. Gokhan Kaynak
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  4. Yelda Unal
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  5. Sema Ertan
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  6. Onder Aydingoz
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  7. Rifat Erginer
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  8. Mehmet Can Unlu
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  10. Muharrem Babacan
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Correspondence to Huseyin Botanlioglu.

Additional information

Ethics approval

The local ethics committee (07/02/2012 dated and A-54 numbered) of the study hospital approved the study protocol, and written informed consent was obtained from every volunteer and patient for the SWE procedures. The study was made according to latest form of the Declaration of Helsinki (as amended by the 59th World Medical Association General Assembly, Seoul, October 2008).

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Botanlioglu, H., Kantarci, F., Kaynak, G. et al. Shear wave elastography properties of vastus lateralis and vastus medialis obliquus muscles in normal subjects and female patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome. Skeletal Radiol 42, 659–666 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-012-1520-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-012-1520-4

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