Muscle and Tendon Stiffness of the Lower Limb of Professional Adolescent Soccer Athletes Measured Using Shear Wave Elastography

Abstract

Background: While adolescents have specific risk factors for acute and chronic injury, there is a lack of preventive medicine algorithms for this vulnerable group. Shear wave elastography (SWE) is currently mainly used for assessing muscle and tendon stiffness in adult athletes and can diagnose tissue pathologies such as tendinopathy. The aim was to investigate differences in quadriceps tendon and muscle stiffness between adolescent and adult professional soccer players using SWE and identify lateral imbalances in order to improve the knowledge of preventive medicine algorithms for professional adolescent athletes. Methods: Standardized SWE examinations of both lower limb tendons and muscles (the quadriceps tendon (QT) and the vastus medialis (VM) muscle) in the longitudinal plane and relaxed tendon position were performed in 13 healthy adolescent soccer athletes (13–17 years), and a control group of 19 healthy adult professional soccer athletes (18–29 years). Results: Adolescent soccer players had lower stiffness values for both the quadriceps tendon (3.11 m/s vs. 3.25 m/s) and the vastus medialis muscle (1.67 m/s vs. 1.71 m/s) than adult athletes. Moreover, QT stiffness in adolescent soccer players was significantly lower on the right side (QT: adult 3.50 m/s (2.73–4.56) vs. adolescent 2.90 m/s (2.61–3.12); p = 0.031). Analysis of the lateral differences revealed softer QT and VM tissue on the right side in over two-thirds of adolescent soccer athletes. Over two-thirds of adults had stiffer QT and VM tissue on the right side. Conclusion: In adolescent soccer players, the stiffness of the QT and VM muscle measured by SWE is lower in the right leg. SWE of the musculoskeletal system may thus become a relevant diagnostic tool to detect early lateral imbalances as a main risk factor for injury and may thus contribute to the prevention of acute and chronic injury prevention in adolescent athletes.

Effect of Anthropometric Parameters on Achilles Tendon Stiffness of Professional Athletes Measured by Shear Wave Elastography

“…Furthermore, no significant influence of BMI on tendon stiffness was found, as earlier studies also concluded [24,26,27]. Regular pre-and post-season preventive SWE examinations of the sport-specific exposed tendons in professional athletes may reduce injury risk by detecting early changes in tissue stiffness [9,28].…”

“…A total of 65 professional athletes with a mean age of 20.19 years [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] were examined. The median BMI was 22.85 kg/m 2 (IQR 19.60-32.38 kg/m 2 ).…”

Clinical experience with shear wave elastography (SWE) for assessing healthy uterus in a transabdominal approach

“…Furthermore, the sporting activity of the test subjects could influence the measurements of striated muscles. Previous data have demonstrated that different sports can impact SWE measurements of various muscles [20][21][22] . However, our study did not focus on comparing the effects of different types of sport on the quadriceps femoris muscle and the autochthonous back muscles.…”

Acute Effects of Running on Shear Wave Elastography Measures of the Achilles Tendon and Calf Muscles in Professional Female Handball and Volleyball Players

“…Regular longitudinal SWE measurements in combination with a standardized sports medical examination once a year and pre- and post-season SWE measurements may help trainers and doctors to adapt training protocols for the individual athlete to prevent chronic tendon and muscle injuries. This is essential in preventive and rehabilitation medicine for professional athletes and adolescent athletes as lateral imbalances are a risk factor for future injuries and can be detected using SWE [ 48 ]. In this context, further studies are still necessary, as well as further standardization of the measurement method of SWE to improve the consistency of SWE measurements and enhance the comparability of SWE studies.…”