FOURTEENTH ANNUAL EUROPEAN PRESSURE ULCER ...

Thursday September 1st
Proceedings of the 14th Annual European Pressure Ulcer Meeting
Oporto, Portugal
Using MR elastography to map changes in muscle and other tissues due to mechanical
loading and disease
Lynne E. Bilston 1*
1* Neuroscience Research Australia, Australia, L.Bilston@NeuRA.edu.au
Introduction
Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) is an
emerging noninvasive MR imaging technique that can
measure the mechanical properties of soft tissues in
human subjects in vivo. MRE is well-established in
clinical studies of liver tissues, and is being explored to
quantify changes in many tissues ranging from brain to
skeletal muscle. Studies have measured mechanical
changes in muscle tissues after exercise, and the
effects of disease and treatment. Most recently, the
ability to map changes in tissue mechanics during
compression have been conducted. The potential
utility of MRE for both basic and clinical studies of
pressure ulcers will be outlined.
Methods
The fundamental principle of MRE is that the
mechanical properties of a tissue affect how
mechanical vibrations travel through that tissue.
Waves travel faster in stiffer tissues, and are
attenuated more rapidly in more viscous (or energyabsorbing)
materials. By applying an external vibration
to a tissue, and tracking the vibration within the tissue
with the MRI scanner (synchronized to the vibration),
we can estimate both the elastic and viscous
mechanical parameters for that tissue.
Fig. 1. Simulated wave propagation from a vibration source
on the left. Note the stiffer region with different wave
propagation in the centre. (image from R. Sinkus, INSERM)
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Results/Discussion
From the MRI data, mathematical inversion of the
wave images allows elasticity and viscosity maps for
the tissue to be obtained. Elasticity increases with
applied compressive load, after eccentric exercise in
skeletal muscles, and in the presence of some disease
conditions.
Clinical relevance
MR elastography may provide a useful tool for basic
research into the biomechanics of pressure ulcer
development, and may also be able to noninvasively
map tissue changes in patients.
Acknowledgements
This talk was partially supported by the
TRANSCRIPTAR networking grant from the Leeds
Fund for International Research Collaboration (FIRC)
(Sponsors: Worldwide Universities Network and the
University of Leeds)
Conflict of Interest
None to declare
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