Ultrasound strain elastography for peripheral nerves localization for regional anesthesia A prospective observational...

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Diagnostic Ultrasound
• Elastography

Background:

• Ultrasound Elastography (UE) enhances diagnostic accuracy.
• Strain Elastography (SE) assesses tissue elasticity, differentiating normal from pathological tissues.
• SE is recommended for evaluating nerve rigidity and differentiating parenchymal processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of SE in assessing the elasticity of the femoral nerve (FN) and popliteal sciatic nerve (PSN).
• To compare SE findings with conventional 2D black and white sonography (S).
• To assess the reproducibility and potential of SE for nerve localization.

Main Methods:

• A prospective observational study included 30 healthy adult patients.
• The FN and PSN were examined using both S and SE.
• SE utilized a colorimetric scale (CS) and a 3-point tissue classification for elasticity assessment.

Main Results:

• Conventional sonography confirmed normal morphology of FN and PSN with high reproducibility.
• SE classified FN and PSN as "stiff" in 87% and 83% of patients, respectively.
• A superposition greater than 50% between sonogram and elastogram was observed in 54% (FN) and 70% (PSN) of patients.

Conclusions:

• SE shows potential as a complementary technique to sonography for improving nerve localization.
• Further extensive studies are required to validate SE's clinical utility in real-world conditions.
• SE's ability to assess nerve elasticity may enhance diagnostic capabilities in neurology and musculoskeletal imaging.