Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 23, 2026
Ultrasound Tissue Characterization of Human Achilles Tendon by Stability Quantification of Echo Patterns
Published on: September 5, 2025
Single- and Bi-component T2* analysis of tendon before and during tensile loading, using UTE sequences
Eric Y Chang1,2, Jiang Du2, Kenyu Iwasaki2
1Radiology Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA.
Background:
To determine if the application of tensile force alters the single- or bi-component T2* values of human tendons as measured on a clinical MRI scanner with ultrashort echo time (UTE sequences and if single- or bi-component T2* values differ when measured with 2D-UTE, 3D-UTE, or 3D-UTE-Cones sequences.
Methods:
Ten tendons were imaged before and during the application of tension using various UTE sequences at 3 Tesla. Single and bi-component T2* analysis was performed pre- and posttension and compared with Bonferroni-corrected paired Wilcoxon tests.
Results:
Range of mean pre- and posttension T2* analysis values were: short T2* fraction (78.6-79.7% and 77.3-79.7%, respectively; P = 1.0 for all sequences), long T2* fraction (20.3-21.4% and 20.3-22.7%, respectively; P = 1.0 for all sequences), short T2* (0.9-1.0 ms and 0.9 ms, respectively; P = 1.0 for all sequences), long T2* (19.9-20.4 ms and 21.9-24.0 ms, respectively; P = 0.9 for 2D-UTE and P = 1.0 for 3D-UTE and 3D-UTE-Cones), and single-component T2* (2.3-2.5 ms and 2.5-3.2 ms, respectively; P = 1.0 for all sequences).
Conclusion:
No significant difference in single- or bi-component results was found after the application of tension to tendons. Results are similar regardless of UTE sequence used for acquisition.
