Skeletal radiology
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Injury to a tendon leads to alterations in the mechanical properties of the tendon. Axial-strain sonoelastography and shear-wave elastography are relatively new, real-time imaging techniques that evaluate the mechanical properties of tendons in addition to the existing morphological and vascular information that is obtained with traditional imaging tools. Axial-strain sonoelastography displays the subjective distribution of strain data on an elastogram caused by tissue compression, whereas shear-wave elastography provides a more objective, quantitative measure of the intrinsic tissue elasticity using the acoustic push-pulse. ⋯ Possible barriers to the dissemination of axial-strain sonoelastography technique include operator dependency, technical limitations such as artefacts and lack of reproducibility and quantification of sonoelastography data. Shear-wave elastography may improve the reproducibility of elastography data, although there is only one published study on the topic to date. Large-scale longitudinal studies are needed to further elucidate the clinical relevance and potential applications of axial-strain sonoelastography and shear-wave elastography in diagnosing, predicting, and monitoring the progress of tendon healing before they can be widely adopted into routine clinical practice.
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Review Case Reports
Empty toe phenomenon: a big problem for a little toe.
The authors present a case report and review of the sparse literature of a rare closed degloving injury to the toe, referred to by Flaherty as an "empty toe phenomenon." A 25-year-old man sustained a twisting injury to his left foot when he was involved in a motorcycle accident. The skin was not lacerated around the toe but on physical exam it appeared that part of the toe was empty of its bony contents.