Valoración ecográfica de la morfología, textura y función del músculo sóleo y tendón de Aquiles

Abstract

Currently, musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging has experienced an exponential growth in medicine and rehabilitation areas, in the clinical and research fields. This knowledge has been the advance in image analysis for preventive and therapeutic purposes. The goal of the present thesis was to analyze the different echotextural, functional and structural parameters of the soleus muscle and Achilles tendon. Therefore, the echotextural assessment of the soleus muscle was developed between individuals with and without soleus pathology, Achilles tendon thickness and their relationship with the performance and the reliability of the M-mode of the soleus muscle contraction in different knee flexion degrees. Results showed that echotextural parameters differ reporting a lower echointensity for individuals with central tendon tear of the soleus muscle. Moreover, pathology signs were showed for the Achilles tendon in asymptomatic ballet dancers evaluated by ultrasound imaging, especially in those who developed the sport activity for more years. The assessment of the M-mode for the soleus muscle reported a good to excellent reliability in different knee flexion degrees. These results allow us new research lines about image analysis by ultrasound imaging in the musculoskeletal field with an important applicability of the results to the clinical practice.