Impact of ultrasound elastography on Quality of Life in Patients with musculoskeletal trauma

Federica Conti; F. Marino; E. Gallo

doi:10.5281/zenodo.22814187

Authors

Federica Conti Department of Clinical Radiology, Tiber Center for Medical Imaging Author https://orcid.org/6015-7109-4086-7605
F. Marino Department of Clinical Medical Imaging, Uruguay Institute of Clinical Radiology Author https://orcid.org/4833-6400-2987-0019
E. Gallo Department of Clinical Radiology, Tiber Center for Medical Imaging Author https://orcid.org/3754-2687-2957-3020

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22814187

Keywords:

ultrasound elastography, shear-wave elastography, musculoskeletal trauma, quality of life, rehabilitation

Abstract

Graphical abstract

Background: Musculoskeletal trauma is a leading cause of pain and disability, and recovery is conventionally judged by clinical examination and patient-reported quality-of-life instruments, while conventional ultrasound shows structural change but not tissue stiffness.

Objective: This review synthesizes evidence on ultrasound elastography, both strain and shear-wave techniques, as a marker of tissue remodeling after musculoskeletal trauma and examines how elastographic parameters relate to patient-reported quality-of-life and functional outcomes.

Methods: We synthesized technical validation studies, longitudinal cohorts of muscle and tendon injury, and comparative rehabilitation series reporting elastographic stiffness alongside instruments such as the SF-36, EQ-5D, QuickDASH, and KOOS.

Findings: Post-traumatic tissue stiffness follows a biphasic trajectory, softening acutely then stiffening through remodeling, and correlates moderately but consistently with improvement in physical function and quality-of-life scores, most strongly as within-patient longitudinal change; elastography-guided rehabilitation reports faster attainment of baseline function than standard protocols.

Conclusions: Ultrasound elastography is a reproducible, biologically coherent complement to patient-reported outcome measures after musculoskeletal trauma, and its clinical value would be strengthened by standardized acquisition protocols and prospective trials treating elastographic and quality-of-life endpoints as co-primary outcomes.

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