The normal value and influencing factors of shear wave elastography in healthy tibial nerves: A cross-sectional study

Shear wave elastography is a potential method for evaluating peripheral neuropathy, but lacking reference values. The aim of this study was to measure tibial nerve stiffness in healthy individuals using shear wave elastography and to investigate the influencing factors of tibial nerve stiffness.

Shear wave elastography of bilateral tibial nerves was performed in 50 healthy individuals 4 cm proximal to the medial malleolus. Mean shear modulus data of tibial nerves were obtained and recorded. Intra- and interobserver agreement were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients. Differences among groups (grouped by laterality, sex, age, and body mass index) were analyzed with independent-samples t-tests and paired t-tests. Effect size (Cohen's d) was also calculated.

The intra-and interobserver agreement were moderate (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.700-0.747) for all participants, and was poor (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.265-0.088) in very thin people (body mass index <18.5 kg/m²). The shear wave elastography measurements of the tibial nerve did not show a significant difference between legs, sexes, or different age groups. Higher values of tibial nerve stiffness were found in thinner participants.

Shear wave elastography is a method to evaluate the stiffness of peripheral nerves. The measurement results were likely influenced by body mass index of the participants.