Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology最新文献

{"title":"Ultrasound and Gold Nanoparticles Improve Tissue Repair for Muscle Injury Caused by Snake Venom","authors":"Mírian Ívens Fagundes ,&nbsp;Nathalia Coral Galvani ,&nbsp;Ellen De-Pieri ,&nbsp;Igor Ramos Lima ,&nbsp;Maria Eduarda Anastácio Borges Corrêa ,&nbsp;Lidiane Anastácio Cruz ,&nbsp;Thiago Antônio Moretti de Andrade ,&nbsp;Carlos Chávez-Olórtegui ,&nbsp;Paulo Cesar Lock Silveira ,&nbsp;Ricardo Andrez Machado-de-Ávila","doi":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.09.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.09.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To develop a treatment that enhances recovery from envenomation-induced lesions caused by <em>Bothrops jararaca</em> venom by using ultrasound in combination with gold nanoparticles (GNPs).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A total of 108 Swiss mice were arranged into nine groups. The animals underwent necrotic induction with 250 µg <em>B. jararaca</em> venom (BjV) and were treated with ultrasound (U) at 1 MHz frequency at an intensity of 0.8 W/cm² for 5 min, 30 mg/L GNPs, and anti-bothropic serum (AS) in the following combinations: saline solution (SS); BjV; BjV + AS; BjV + AS + U; BjV + GNPs + AS; BjV + GNPs + AS + U; BjV + GNPs; BjV + GNPs + U; and BjV + U. The necrotic area, histology, oxidative stress, oxidative damage, and anti-oxidant system were assessed to evaluate the effects of the treatments.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Treatments that included GNPs, U, and/or AS demonstrated reductions in necrotic area, increases in angiogenesis and fibroblast means, decreases in inflammatory infiltrates, and improvements in collagen synthesis. Additionally, there was an increase in oxidants and oxidant damage within the gastrocnemius muscle, along with an increase in anti-oxidants. Furthermore, systemic effects appear to have been achieved, improving the anti-oxidant system at the cardiovascular and renal levels.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The use of GNPs and U may be effective at treating lesions caused by <em>B. jararaca</em> snake venom.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49399,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142478948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Design of a Phantom Mimicking Rectal Lymph Nodes for Magnetomotive Ultrasound","authors":"Arefeh Mousavi ,&nbsp;Jules Reniaud ,&nbsp;Magnus Santesson ,&nbsp;Linda Persson ,&nbsp;Tomas Jansson","doi":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.09.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.09.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Durable and stable phantoms for verifying and validating the new magnetomotive ultrasound technique are lacking. Here we propose a phantom design to address this need.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A mixture of styrene-butylene/ethylene-styrene (SEBS) in mineral oil and glass beads as a scattering material acted as a bulk material, in which a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) inclusion containing magnetic nanoparticles in water solution and graphite was embedded. The design mimics nanoparticle-laden lymph nodes embedded in mesorectal fat, as would be the clinical scenario for diagnostic support of staging rectal cancer using magnetomotive ultrasound.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The estimated reflection between the insert and bulk material was 10%, matching the clinical case of a lymph node within fat (9%). Speed of sound, attenuation, and Young's modulus of the bulk material were matched with those of body fat. The insert also matched the acoustic and elastic properties of lymph node tissue except for attenuation, which was lower than that given in the literature. Glass beads and graphite were used to control backscatter levels in the respective tissue mimics, providing a contrast of -3.8 dB that was consistent with clinical image appearance. The magnitude of magnetomotion remained stable in three separate samples over the course of 3 weeks.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>We have developed a phantom for magnetomotive ultrasound that combines the stability of an oil-based bulk material with the necessity of using a water-based material for the insert. The production procedure may be applied to other phantoms where one tissue type needs to be embedded within another.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49399,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142478943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Bioengineered Cathepsin B-sensitive Gas Vesicle Nanosystem That Responds With Increased Gray-level Intensity of Ultrasound Biomicroscopic Images","authors":"Felipe Vianna Garrute ,&nbsp;Ana Beatriz F. Pacheco ,&nbsp;George J. Lu ,&nbsp;João Carlos Machado","doi":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.09.015","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.09.015","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This work aimed to promote the interaction of a modified gas vesicle (GV) with cathepsin B (CTSB) protease and analysed their backscattered signal by ultrasound (US).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We modified the sequence of the gene coding for GvpC to contain a CTSB cleavage and expressed the protein in an Escherichia coli recombinant system. The protein was purified and added to GVs preparations in which the original GvpC was removed (ΔGV), constituting the modified GV (GV*). Western blot testing was used to compare GVs with GvpC and engineered GvpC at starting (T0) and after 24 h (T24) reacting with CTSB. A 21 MHz US B-mode and non-linear contrast mode (5% total power) imaged US phantoms having samples of GVwt, ΔGV (stripped GV), GV* and CTSB + GV*. Also, a 21 MHz US B-mode imaged US phantoms having a tumour cell line extracellular fraction (TCEF) and the TCEF + GV* sample. A 100% total US power was applied to collapse the GV structure.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>On Western blotting, we detected a decrease in engineered GvpC levels 24 h after the incubation of GV* with CTSB, compared with the concentration at T0, suggesting that CTSB cleaved the engineered GvpC. Regions-of-interest over image of phantom cross-sections were determined and the B-mode image mean grey-level intensity resulted in a significant (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) increase comparing CTSB + GV* with PBS (control), GVwt, ΔGV and GV*. Non-linear mode image grey-level intensity from CTSB + GV* increased by 11.79, 7.86 and 14.75 dB from samples containing GVwt, ΔGV and GV*, respectively. GV preparations incubated with TCEF and the TCEF + GV* sample showed an increase of 81% in signal compared with TCEF + GVwt.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The increased US backscattered signal intensity suggests GVs as a potential biosensor for protease activity, possibly aiding the detection of protease-rich tissue regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49399,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142407097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Focused Ultrasound in Cancer Immunotherapy: A Review of Mechanisms and Applications","authors":"Sadman Labib ,&nbsp;Robert K. Bright ,&nbsp;Jingfei Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.09.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.09.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ultrasound is well-perceived for its diagnostic application. Meanwhile, ultrasound, especially focused ultrasound (FUS), has also demonstrated therapeutic capabilities, such as thermal tissue ablation, hyperthermia, and mechanical tissue ablation, making it a viable therapeutic approach for cancer treatment. Cancer immunotherapy is an emerging cancer treatment approach that boosts the immune system to fight cancer, and it has also exhibited enhanced effectiveness in treating previously considered untreatable conditions. Currently, cancer immunotherapy is regarded as one of the four pillars of cancer treatment because it has fewer adverse effects than radiation and chemotherapy. In recent years, the unique capabilities of FUS in ablating tumors, regulating the immune system, and enhancing anti-tumor responses have resulted in a new field of research known as FUS-induced/assisted cancer immunotherapy. In this work, we provide a comprehensive overview of this new research field by introducing the basics of focused ultrasound and cancer immunotherapy and providing the state-of-the-art applications of FUS in cancer immunotherapy: the mechanisms and preclinical and clinical studies. This review aims to offer the scientific community a reliable reference to the exciting field of FUS-induced/assisted cancer immunotherapy, hoping to foster the further development of related technology and expand its medical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49399,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142401750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ultrasound and Microbubble-Induced Reduction of Functional Vasculature Depends on the Microbubble, Tumor Type and Time After Treatment","authors":"Sofie Snipstad ,&nbsp;Caroline Einen ,&nbsp;Andrea Berge Kastellet ,&nbsp;Jessica Lage Fernandez ,&nbsp;Melina Mühlenpfordt ,&nbsp;Anna Kurbatskaya ,&nbsp;Charlotte Årseth ,&nbsp;Sigrid Berg ,&nbsp;Astrid Bjørkøy ,&nbsp;Catharina de Lange Davies","doi":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.09.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.09.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Ultrasound in combination with microbubbles can enhance accumulation and improve the distribution of various therapeutic agents in tumor tissue, leading to improved efficacy. Understanding the impact of treatment on the tumor microenvironment, concurrently with how microenvironment attributes affect treatment outcome, will be important for selecting appropriate patient cohorts in future clinical trials. The main aim of this work was to investigate the influence of ultrasound and microbubbles on the functional vasculature of cancer tissue.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Four different tumor models in mice (bone, pancreatic, breast and colon cancer) were characterized with respect to vascular parameters using contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging. The effect of treatment with microbubbles and ultrasound was then investigated using immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy, quantifying the total amount of vasculature and fraction of functional vessels. Two different microbubbles were used, the clinical contrast agent SonoVue and the large bubbles generated by Acoustic Cluster Therapy (ACT), tailored for therapeutic purposes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The colon cancer model displayed slower flow but a higher vascular volume than the other models. The pancreatic model showed the fastest flow but also the lowest vascular volume. Ultrasound and SonoVue transiently reduced the amount of functional vasculature in breast and colon tumors immediately after treatment. No reduction was observed for ACT, likely due to shorter ultrasound pulses and lower pressures applied.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Variation between tumor models due to tissue characteristics emphasizes the importance of evaluating treatment suitability in the specific tissue of interest, as altered perfusion could have a large impact on drug delivery and therapeutic outcome.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49399,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142401751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Relationship Between Early and Established Rheumatoid Arthritis Vascular Change of the Dorsalis Pedis Artery Observed with Ultrasound Imaging","authors":"Robyn Boman ,&nbsp;Stefania Penkala ,&nbsp;Rosa.H.M. Chan ,&nbsp;Fredrick Joshua ,&nbsp;Roy.T.H. Cheung","doi":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.09.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.09.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Despite early treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) being well established to prevent erosive joint damage, studies report persistent moderate to high disease activity. Other pathologies, for example, rheumatoid vasculitis (RV) may contribute symptoms that may not be captured by existing clinical assessment.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>To investigate ultrasound-observed changes in the proximal dorsalis pedis artery (DPA) between early (≤ 5 y) and established (&gt;5 y) RA and the RA Disease Activity Index-5 (RADAI-5).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Participants with early (<em>n</em> = 20) and established RA (<em>n</em> = 20) were recruited. Five parameters of the DPA were examined with a previously established ultrasound method. Independent t-tests and Cohen d statistics assessed differences and effect size between ultrasound parameters and RADAI-5, and the two groups. Pearson correlation assessed associations between ultrasound parameters and RADAI-5.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Majority of participants (98%) demonstrated arterial wall thickening regardless of disease duration. However, lumen diameter (Cohen's <em>d</em> = 0.972, <em>p</em> = 0.004) and artery diameter (Cohen's <em>d</em> = 0.694, <em>p</em> = 0.034) were decreased in established RA compared to early RA. No strong associations were found between RADAI-5 and ultrasound parameters, except for lumen diameter in early RA demonstrating a fair association to RADAI-5 (<em>r</em> = 0.445). The mean RADAI-5 score indicated moderate to high disease activity with no difference between early and established RA (<em>p</em> = 0.283).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Arterial wall thickening of the DPA indicating the precursory changes of RV was observed in most RA participants, with reductions in artery and lumen diameter occurring in established disease. However, the long-standing instrument RADAI-5 may not reflect symptoms and clinical impacts related to vascular changes among people with RA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49399,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142394675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quantitative Analysis on Vessel Stiffness and Vector Flow Imaging in the Assessment of Carotid Artery Structural and Functional Changes in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes","authors":"Caihong Chang ,&nbsp;Ling Gan ,&nbsp;Xue Liao ,&nbsp;Yao Peng ,&nbsp;Fuqi Yang ,&nbsp;Weichao Liu ,&nbsp;Mofeng Wang ,&nbsp;Juan Song ,&nbsp;Jiaqi Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.09.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.09.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To explore the value of RF-data-based quantitative analysis on vessel stiffness (R-QVS) combined with dynamic vector flow imaging (VFI) in evaluating structural and functional changes in the carotid arteries of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A prospective study was conducted between October 2022 and April 2024, including 275 consecutive subjects (50 volunteers as controls, 108 patients with T2DM and normal carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and 117 patients with T2DM and thickened CIMT). Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was measured using real-time intima-media thickness (RIMT) technology, while R-QVS was employed to measure the systolic diameter (Diam), displacement (Dist), hardness coefficient (HC), and pulse wave velocity (PWV) of the distal segment of the carotid artery. VFI was used to measure the maximum wall shear stress (WSS_max), mean wall shear stress (WSS_mean), and maximum instantaneous velocity (V_max) of the vessel wall. Differences in ultrasound parameters among the three groups were compared, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to calculate the area under the curve (AUC), evaluating the efficacy of these parameters in assessing structural and functional changes in the carotid arteries of patients with T2DM.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>There were statistically significant differences in carotid IMT, Diam, Dist, HC, PWV, WSS_max, and Vmax among the three groups (all <em>p</em> &lt; 0.01). The AUCs for evaluating structural and functional changes in the carotid arteries of patients with T2DM using carotid ultrasound parameters Diam, Dist, HC, PWV, WSS_max, and V_max were 0.64, 0.68, 0.83, 0.88, 0.86, and 0.82, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis identified Dist., HC, PWV, WSS_max, and WSS_mean as influencing factors for CIMT in T2DM patients (with β values of -0.406, 0.515, 0.564, -0.472, and -0.438, respectively; all <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>R-QVS and VFI techniques contribute to the early assessment of structural and functional changes in the carotid arteries of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Compared with controls, T2DM patients exhibit more advanced functional changes than morphological changes despite normal CIMT. The enhanced sensitivity, reproducibility, and detailed assessment capabilities of these methods make them valuable tools in the early detection and intervention of cardiovascular risk in T2DM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49399,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142394674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pulse-Echo Ultrasound for Quantitative Measurements of Two Uncorrelated Elastic Parameters","authors":"Rune Hansen ,&nbsp;Øyvind Ervik ,&nbsp;Naseh Amini ,&nbsp;Stian Solberg ,&nbsp;Sigrid Berg ,&nbsp;Venkat Ayyalasomayajula ,&nbsp;Bjørn Skallerud ,&nbsp;Håkon Olav Leira ,&nbsp;Hanne Sorger ,&nbsp;Jørgen Avdal","doi":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.08.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.08.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This paper describes the relationship between elastic tissue properties and strain and presents an initial investigation of pulse-echo ultrasound to measure two uncorrelated elastic parameters in tissue-mimicking phantoms. The two elastic parameters are the shear modulus, related to deformation of shape, and what we in the paper define as the nonlinear compressibility, related to deformation of volume.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We prepared tissue-mimicking phantoms containing lesions of variable shear modulus and variable nonlinear compressibility. An in-house framework for shear wave imaging was developed using ultrasound radiation force at 4.5 MHz to induce shear waves and plane wave imaging with pulses in a frequency band centered around 12.5 MHz to track the shear waves. For measurements of nonlinear compressibility, co-propagating dual-frequency pulse complexes at 0.7 MHz and 14 MHz were applied. Algorithms were implemented on a Verasonics Vantage ultrasound scanner and a custom-made multi-frequency ultrasound transducer was used. Mechanical indentation measurements were performed to validate ultrasound measurements of the shear modulus. For the nonlinear compressibility, ultrasound measurements were compared to results derived from the literature.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We found good agreement in elasticity results from ultrasound measurements and mechanical indentation as well as when comparing with results derived from the literature.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Results of the current investigation were promising. We plan patient studies involving thyroid lesions and liver steatosis to explore whether measurements of elastic parameters related both to shape deformation and volume deformation are useful in clinical practice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49399,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142382160","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strain Patterns With Ultrasound for Assessment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Vessel Wall Biomechanics","authors":"Ulver S. Lorenzen ,&nbsp;Marta I. Bracco ,&nbsp;Alexander H. Zielinski ,&nbsp;Magdalena Broda ,&nbsp;Stéphane Avril ,&nbsp;Laurence Rouet ,&nbsp;Jonas P. Eiberg ,&nbsp;The COACH Research Collaborative","doi":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.09.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.09.014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are an important cause of death. Small AAAs are surveyed with ultrasound (US) until a defined diameter threshold, often triggering a computer tomography scan and surgical repair. Nevertheless, 5%–10% of AAA ruptures are below threshold, and some large AAAs never rupture. AAA wall biomechanics may reveal vessel wall degradation with potential for patient-centred risk assessment. This clinical study investigated AAA vessel wall biomechanics and deformation patterns, including reproducibility.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In 50 patients with AAA, 183 video clips were recorded by two sonographers. Prototype software extracted AAA vessel wall principal strain characteristics and patterns. Functional principal component analysis (FPCA) derived strain pattern statistics.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Strain patterns demonstrated reduced AAA wall strains close to the spine. The strain pattern “topography” (i.e., curve phases or “peaks” and “valleys”) had a 3.9 times lower variance than simple numeric assessment of strain amplitudes, which allowed for clustering in two groups with FPCA. A high mean reproducibility of these clusters of 87.6% was found. Median pulse pressure-normalised mean principal strain (PPPS) was 0.038%/mm Hg (interquartile range: 0.029–0.051%/mm Hg) with no correlation to AAA size (Spearman's <em>ρ</em> = 0.02, false discovery rate-<em>p</em> = 0.15). Inter-operator reproducibility of PPPS was poor (limits of agreement: ±0.031%/mm Hg).</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>Strain patterns challenge previous numeric stiffness measures based on anterior-posterior-diameter and are reproducible for clustering. This study's PPPS aligned with prior findings, although clinical reproducibility was poor. In contrast, US-based strain patterns hold promising potential to enhance AAA risk assessment beyond traditional diameter-based metrics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49399,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142376235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}