Int J Sports Med 2004; 25(4): 301-305
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-815828
Orthopedics & Biomechanics

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Colour and Power Doppler Sonography in Symptomatic Achilles Tendon Disease

M. Reiter1 , N. Ulreich2 , A. Dirisamer3 , D. Tscholakoff1 , R. A. Bucek1
  • 1Zentralröntgeninstitut der Krankenanstalt Rudolfstiftung, Vienna, Austria
  • 2Department of Orthopaedics, General Hospital Vienna, Austria
  • 3Department of Radiology, General Hospital Vienna, Austria
Further Information

Publication History

Accepted after revision: July 20, 2003

Publication Date:
26 May 2004 (online)

Abstract

The present trial focused on the exact role of colour and power Doppler sonography in Achilles tendinopathy and correlated these techniques with the clinical severity of the disease and with findings on grey-scale sonography. Twenty patients with in total 28 symptomatic Achilles tendons were included in this prospective trial. Additionally included were the asymptomatic tendons (n = 12) of patients and both tendons (n = 30) of fifteen controls. The pain score of Robinson - which ranges from 0 (strong severe pain) to 100 (asymptomatic) - was used to assess clinical severity of the disease. Both tendons of patients and controls were examined by a GE LOGIQ 9™ scanner with a small-parts 14 MHz transducer. Grey-scale sonography detected in total 31 focal hypoechoic areas in 19 (68 %) of the 28 symptomatic tendons. Colour as well as power Doppler sonography detected blood flow in 14 (74 %) of the 19 tendons with focal hypoechoic areas. No blood flow was detected in the remaining symptomatic tendons (n = 14) and in the asymptomatic tendons of patients or in both tendons of controls. Colour and power Doppler sonography resulted in a specificity of 100 % and a sensitivity of 50 % for symptomatic Achilles tendinopathy. Patients with blood flow within the tendon had a significantly lower score according to Robinson than symptomatic patients without flow (P = 0.009). It is concluded that colour and/or power Doppler sonography are useful as an adjunct to grey-scale sonography in the examination of Achilles tendinosis, especially because the presence of blood flow is associated with stronger pain, discomfort and physical restriction.

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M. D. Markus Reiter

Clinic for Internal Medicine II · Department of Angiology · University of Vienna · General Hospital Vienna

Währinger Gürtel 18 - 20

1090 Vienna

Austria

Phone: + 431404004670

Fax: + 43 14 04 00 46 65

Email: markus.reiter@akh-wien.ac.at

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