Structural and functional assessment of intense therapeutic ultrasound effects on partial Achilles tendon transection

Jennifer K. Barton, Photini S. Rice, Caitlin C. Howard, Jen W. Koevary, Forest Danford, David A. Gonzales, Jonathan P Vande Geest, L. Daniel Latt, John A. Szivek, Richard Amodei, Michael Slayton

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Tendinopathies and tendon tears heal slowly because tendons have a limited blood supply. Intense therapeutic ultrasound (ITU) is a treatment modality that creates very small, focal coagula in tissue, which can stimulate a healing response. This pilot study investigated the effects of ITU on rabbit and rat models of partial Achilles tendon rupture. The right Achilles tendons of 20 New Zealand White rabbits and 118 rats were partially transected. Twenty-four hours after surgery, ITU coagula were placed in the tendon and surrounding tissue, alternating right and left legs. At various time points, the following data were collected: ultrasound imaging, optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging, mechanical testing, gene expression analysis, histology, and multiphoton microscopy (MPM) of sectioned tissue. Ultrasound visualized cuts and treatment lesions. OCT showed the effect of the interventions on birefringence banding caused by collagen organization. MPM showed inflammatory infiltrate, collagen synthesis and organization. By day 14-28, all tendons had a smooth appearance and histology, MPM and OCT still could still visualize residual healing processes. Few significant results in gene expression were seen, but trends were that ITU treatment caused an initial decrease in growth and collagen gene expression followed by an increase. No difference in failure loads was found between control, cut, and ITU treatment groups, suggesting that sufficient healing had occurred by 14 days to restore all test tissue to control mechanical properties. These results suggest that ITU does not cause harm to tendon tissue. Upregulation of some genes suggests that ITU may increase healing response.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationAdvanced Biomedical and Clinical Diagnostic and Surgical Guidance Systems XVI
EditorsTuan Vo-Dinh, Warren S. Grundfest, Anita Mahadevan-Jansen
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Electronic)9781510614536
DOIs
StatePublished - 2018
EventAdvanced Biomedical and Clinical Diagnostic and Surgical Guidance Systems XVI 2018 - San Francisco, United States
Duration: Jan 28 2018Jan 30 2018

Publication series

NameProgress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging - Proceedings of SPIE
Volume10484
ISSN (Print)1605-7422

Other

OtherAdvanced Biomedical and Clinical Diagnostic and Surgical Guidance Systems XVI 2018
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Francisco
Period1/28/181/30/18

Keywords

  • Achilles tendon
  • Gene expression
  • Healing response
  • Intense therapeutic ultrasound
  • Ultrasound

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
  • Biomaterials
  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging

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