Evaluation of the relationship between neck and shoulder pain and scalene muscles based on shear wave elastography

doi:10.12307/2024.217

Abstract

Abstract: BACKGROUND: In clinical work, the stiffness of neck soft tissue in patients with neck and shoulder pain is mainly detected through palpation, which is highly subjective and lacks an objective basis. Real-time shear wave elastography is a quantitative elastic ultrasound technique that can objectively assess muscle elasticity and muscle status.
OBJECTIVE: To apply real-time shear wave elastography to assess the stiffness of scalene muscles in patients with neck and shoulder pain and to observe the characteristics of muscle stiffness changes in the bilateral anterior, middle and posterior scalene muscles in patients with neck and shoulder pain.
METHODS: From December 2021 to June 2022, 36 healthy subjects (control group) and 36 patients with neck and shoulder pain (test group) were recruited at the Shenzhen Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. Real-time shear wave elastography was applied to measure the mean values of elastic modulus and cross-sectional area of the anterior and middle and posterior scalene muscles bilaterally in the neutral and lateral flexion positions of the neck in both groups.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In the same position, there were no significant differences between the mean Values of elastic modulus of the left and right anterior scalene muscles as well as between the mean Values of elastic modulus of the left and right middle scalene muscles in each group (P > 0.05); there were no significant differences between the cross-sectional area of the left and right anterior scalene muscles as well as the cross-sectional area of the left and right posteromedial scalene muscles in each group (P > 0.05); and the elastic modulus and cross-sectional area of the posteromedial scalene muscles were significantly higher than those of the anterior scalene muscles in both groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.001). The mean Values of elastic modulus of the anterior and posteromedial scalene muscles were higher in the test group than in the control group in the neutral and lateral neck flexion positions (P < 0.001), while the cross-sectional areas of the anterior and posteromedial scalene muscles were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.001). To conclude, real-time shear wave elastography can be used to visually evaluate the differences in the mean Values of elastic modulus of the anterior and posteromedial scalene muscles in different states of the neck muscles in patients with neck and shoulder pain, whose bilateral scalene muscles are in a state of strain and stiffness.

Key words: neck and shoulder pain, real-time shear wave elastography, scalene muscle, different positions, elastic modulus, stiffness, treatment options, neck muscle

CLC Number:

Chen Zhiling, Huang Xuecheng, Pan Min, Huang Ying, Wu Yuntian. Evaluation of the relationship between neck and shoulder pain and scalene muscles based on shear wave elastography[J]. Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research, 2024, 28(8): 1265-1270.

Figures/Tables 6

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