Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) Imaging of Tendons

Ultrasound is a non-invasive, reliable and cost-effective tool often used by clinicians to diagnose musculoskeletal injuries (ie. tendon and ligament injuries). Currently, evaluation of tissue quality based on ultrasound images is mostly qualitative and depends on the user. Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) imaging is an ultrasound technique that provides information about tissue quality at precise locations. The utility of ARFI imaging is not well understood for stiff, anisotropic biological tissues such as a tendon. The overall goal of this study is to utilize ARFI imaging to quantify the mechanical properties of tendons at precise locations throughout the tendon.