Tissue Tracking Technology for Assessing Cardiac Mechanics: Principles, Normal Values, and Clinical Applications

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Tissue tracking technologies, including speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) and feature tracking cardiac magnetic resonance (FT-CMR), are increasingly used for myocardial deformation analysis.
• These techniques are valued for their applicability to routine echocardiographic and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, facilitating widespread adoption in research and clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of clinically applicable parameters derived from tissue tracking techniques for assessing myocardial mechanics.
• To present normal values, reproducibility data, and clinical validation of these parameters.
• To discuss the application of these technologies in various clinical scenarios and their added value to existing imaging diagnostics.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature and clinical data on speckle tracking echocardiography and feature tracking cardiac magnetic resonance.
• Analysis of derived parameters for myocardial mechanics, focusing on commonalities and differences between modalities.
• Compilation of normal values, reproducibility assessments, and clinical validation studies.

Main Results:

• Tissue tracking techniques offer enhanced noninvasive assessment of myocardial deformation.
• Parameters derived from STE and FT-CMR are similar, though accuracy may vary between modalities.
• Clinical validation supports the use of these parameters in diverse clinical scenarios.

Conclusions:

• Speckle tracking echocardiography and feature tracking cardiac magnetic resonance are valuable tools for assessing myocardial mechanics.
• Understanding normal values, reproducibility, and clinical validation is crucial for effective application.
• These technologies offer additive value to current diagnostic imaging in cardiology.